Stubborn as a goat..

As most of you already know I live in the country...and have experienced quite a few funny incidents. Like the time the neighbors pigs got loose. There I was sitting by the window having a little prayer time and down the dirt drive came about 5 or 6 pigs...running and snorting! Needless to say, we had a country pig roundup, which is not easy! We have had a cow loose running across my property, which had to be headed back to his own home, chicken and a couple roosters that decided the bugs in my yard where tastier and then tried to attack me, domesticated bunnies that got out of their cages, which all were not found and some mornings you can see one or two black and white bunnies running across the back pasture...country life is unique!

Of late, we have a black and white goat that belongs next door and she has taken a liking to my front deck. She wonders over usually when the family next door is gone for the whole day or out of town. She stands on the deck, peers in my front windows,  butts my front screen, and nibbles on my lemon tree. We go outside, usually with our dog leash, and attempt to get her home. But that stubborn goat digs her heels in and won't budge...not a step. "Here mama, how about some good green weeds...yummm?!  Nope...not a step! "Aww, little goat...how bout some good old goat feed?!" Nope...she is not going to budge! I have come to a realization...goats are stubborn!

This mama goat needs to be home. She needs to be in her enclosed space with her water, food, and with the protection of a fence. There is shade for her and a platform for her to jump onto...and little children who give her love and attention, even take her for family walks...her home has everything she wants and needs. Love, protection, nourishment...it is all there! This makes me think about our stubbornness with God. He wants to give us all that we need...love, protection, security, nourishment, life! But how often does our stubbornness get in the way? How often do we dig our heels in, not turn our hearts, our ears, ourselves over to him? And instead of us going forward, reaping the path and blessings God has for us we let our stubbornness hold us back, or hold us in one place..."Yet, they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward not forward." Jeremiah 7:24.

One definition of stubbornness is "unyielding, unbending".  That really gives me a mental picture...imagine Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Now imagine instead of him being yielding and his words being "my Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will", Jesus being stubborn, unyielding, unbending and saying something like..."Father, i'm not really feeling this whole crucifixion thing. I just think you better find another way...like I said...I just don't think i'm into that right now'! How many times have you or I been stubborn and not wanted to yielded to what God wanted for us!? How many times have we dug our feet in and refused to move no matter what God did to try and lead us!?

I don't want to be stubborn, unyielding, unbending. The consequences can be far-reaching. I don't want to be a stubborn, unyielding, hard headed goat.  I want my life to be yielding, bendable to my Father's will for my life!

"...They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments." Nehemiah 9:16