I’m not normally overly chatty in restaurants, but there’s something about sitting at a lunch counter that encourages conversation
Recently, a guy next to me and I talked about the drought. I enjoyed the banter, even though it was only the weather. But I couldn’t help but notice a nasty gash on his forehead and inquired about it.
“That? Oh, well… I hit a cow,” he said, like it happens every day.
Incredulous, I asked, “What? You mean you hit a cow with your car?”
Without looking up from his eggs he said, “Yep. I was driving into Pleasantville, minding my own business, when—BOOM!—I hit a cow.”
“Wow! That’s weird!” I gawked. “And you got that gash from the impact?”
“Ah, heck no!” he scolded me (not his actual words, but close enough for this devotional). “I got this when I fell down chasing the cow.”
Abandoning any semblance of casual conversation, I spun my stool to face him and said, “OK, start from the beginning, I gotta hear this.”
Somewhat reluctantly he went on to describe that when he hit the cow, it rolled up onto his hood. As he slid to a stop the cow slid off the hood, got back onto her feet and continued grazing along the roadside. As steam rose from his smashed radiator, his temper also reached its boiling point. He went on to describe how he jumped out of his car and began chasing the cow down the road. When the cow jumped the deep road ditch, he fell into the ditch and smacked his head on a fence post. He returned to his breakfast.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“Yep. The farmer came out, asked me if I was OK, and led his cow back to the pasture.”
I stammered, “But… what about your car?”
“I had to have it towed.”
He hadn’t even asked the farmer to pay for the damages. “ I was too embarrassed; his cow had already gotten the best of me twice.”
I’ve given that conversation a lot of consideration over the past few weeks. I’ve hit a few cows in my lifetime, too. Well, not real cows… but like my breakfast buddy, I’ve collided with circumstances not of my own doing and came out on the short end of the stick. Haven’t you? Times where you’re minding your own business and—BOOM!—life jumps up and smacks you in the forehead?
Times like these require a sense of humor and an understanding that life is not going to be fair. Instead of chasing the cow until we hurt ourselves again, let’s make the best of a bad situation.
The Apostle Paul wisely reminds us—
“…all things work together for the good of those who are focused on God’s purposes.” Romans 8:28
Lord, help me to keep a clear head the next time I hit a cow. Amen.