Last year for Ava's birthday, several of our family members pitched in and we built her an incredible playset. Most afternoons when we get home from work and school, the first thing she wants to do is run outside and play on it. Before we built the playset, Jason and I debated on the location but in the end, I won. This is not me gloating, I just wanted the playset in a location where I would have the ability to cook dinner, while being able to monitor her.
And so that's what we did. We built the playset so I could do things in the kitchen and also keep an eye on her.
A few weeks ago when we got home in the afternoon, it was no different than most afternoons. Ava asked to go outside and play and I told her she had to stay in the location of the playset so I could keep my eyes on her while I cooked dinner.
So I went inside to start dinner and she went to play. I opened the windows and started in on whatever dinner I was cooking. 15-20 minutes later I heard crying. Now if you're a momma or a parent, I know that you know your child's cry. You just do. It's innate. And probably if you are a parent of multiples, you can distinguish between the cries of your children. That's just how it works.
So when I heard the cry, I looked out the window and I couldn't see anyone other than Ava. I also knew that was not her cry and so I continued to look but the crying stopped.
I continued cooking and went about my business. A few minutes after that I heard the crying again. It took me a minute, but the second time I realized it was not a child crying but a kid -- a goat kid. Thankfully from my kitchen window I can also see the majority of the goat pin/barn. So I skimmed the fence line and saw the sweetest little boy with his head stuck in the fence.
I grabbed some wire cutters and I headed out to the fence.
It may have taken a little time, but help was on the way.
The goat barn is about 100 yards or more from the back door of our house. So it took me and my pregnant self just a few minutes to get the wire cutters and reach the corner of the fence where the goat was stuck. But I made it and I helped him.
As I was walking home I thought of a story that someone once shared with me. Now forgive me, because this next part is going to be very vague, but it has to be that way.
So sometime ago I was talking to this individual that I referenced above. They are probably the most intelligent individual I've ever met or known. At some point in their life they designed nuclear "things" that were used in a very cold time in history.
And as I was talking to this individual, we got on the topic of God. Go figure, right? It doesn't usually take me long to get to that point in a conversation with someone.
So as we were talking, this individual shared a story with me about an encounter they had with God. And it blew my mind. Not because I've never had one, but just how nonchalant this person was about it.
So this is how the story went:
This individual went through a divorce sometime ago. While going through what they described as a very "nasty" divorce, this very intelligent person began to think of ways they could, in their words, "punish," their spouse. Now to be honest, this person would never harm their ex-spouse, but they did have the thoughts of what they would like to do, and they did linger on those thoughts for a longer period of time.
In fact the thoughts lingered until one day when this person was teaching a class. During that class, the individual was fully awake, standing in an auditorium, teaching a group of students. As this individual was teaching, a cloud descended from heaven and landed just above the students. Yes, a cloud. Those were the exact words this individual used. And on that cloud was God. And God spoke to the individual and told the individual that He (God), knew what the individual had been thinking, and that the individual better not do it.
It was a strong rebuke and warning.
And the individual said that as quickly as the cloud appeared, it left. And so did God.
Now here is one of the crazier parts about this story to me. While the individual is a believer, they are not involved in any sort of organized religion, so it's not like this person is or was a Bible beating, baptized in the Spirit, walking out their faith, kind of individual. But they knew and still know without a doubt, that it was God who heard their thoughts and came to convict them.
And so as I was walking back from the goat barn, thinking about that story, it just encouraged me that God hears our cries. He hears out thoughts. Just as I know the cry of my child; or just as you know the cry of your child and even children; and just as I heard my goat, God hears us and He knows us. He knows our cries and He knows our thoughts.
And in the same way that it took me a little bit of time from the first goat cry, to my action of getting to my goat to help him out of the fence, it sometimes takes a little bit of time for the help to come from God. But do not be discouraged, because He hears you, He knows your cries, He knows your thoughts, and help is indeed on the way. You can count on that.
Psalm 34:17 -- New Living Translation
The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
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