We Are Not in Control

Monday morning, as the kids and I were getting ready to walk out the door to help cake cows, Tom walks into the mudroom and says, “And that’s when you know God is looking out for you. Just take a look at the back of the pick up when you get outside.” This is what I saw…

 

 

Tom found this when he unhooked the horse trailer, which we had used to haul our horses around the ranch (and even down the highway to another ranch) all weekend. If the ball had completely broken at any point while the trailer was hooked up, it could have been disastrous. Honestly, thinking about what could have happened makes me a little sick to my stomach…

For me, this was a friendly little reminder that, as much as we would like to be, we (humans) are not in control. Considering we work with livestock and rely heavily on Mother Nature (otherwise known as God) to help us care for said livestock, these little reminders actually occur pretty frequently on the ranch. What I mean by this is, cattle do not always behave the way we think they should. And though we should always try to be prepared, we cannot possibly predict, let alone control, what God has in store for us.

Sometimes, we are reminded of our lack of control by something as subtle as a broken hitch (as seen above), or a few cows escaping and ending up two pastures away from where they should be. Both of which might be time consuming, but are relatively easy to fix. Other times, our reminder comes in the form of something as devastating as Winter Storm Atlas  of 2013. Atlas did not directly affect us, but caused tremendous losses to those in its path.

Regardless the severity or subtlety of the situation, I believe we can always find a silver lining – a reason to be thankful. In the case of the broken hitch, it was the fact that no horses or humans were injured, or killed, as a result. Though, I cannot begin to imagine what the farmers and ranchers went through that fateful October day when Atlas reeked its havoc, I am thankful for their resilience. The resilience and teamwork of those affected, gives me hope and it is nothing short of inspiring.

 

The point is – we are not in control.

 

We may never know, or understand, His plan. But, He does have a plan. Unfavorable weather, broken hitches, and pretty much anything else that doesn’t go my way – they are all reminders that I am not in control. And reminders to count my blessings and to always be thankful.