10 Nov So This One Time, When I Shot a Cow…

I grew up on a dairy farm that was, even by 1970s standards, very small. One of my chores was to get the 20 cows that were grazing in a pasture down our “cow lane” to the barn for milking.

One of those times, I believe I was about ten, I decided to expedite the process by shooting the cows with a pellet gun. As I recall, most bounced harmlessly off their cowhide. That is, until I accidentally shot one in the udder, and she bled. I freaked out! I ran home, bolted upstairs to the spare room and hid (I had no plan after that). The rest of this memory is sketchy, but I remember my brother-in-law went and told my dad.

Realizing how terrified I was, dad went easy on me (It turned out she was not seriously injured). Unfortunately, that was the exception and not the rule with him. He had a very short fuse and blew up often, which is why I hid in the first place. We can treat our heavenly Father the same way.

Many of us grew up learning about an angry, punishing God. Every misstep was an express ticket to hell. Just as I hid in the spare room, this can prompt us to hide from God. After all, we are told to “fear” God. The word for fear is better translated as, “respect,” “honor,” or “revere.” The following passages are among the most encouraging passages in the Bible:

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.9 The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:8-9 (NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him. Romans 5:8-9 (NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

It saddens me when members of the Samaritan’s Heart Church family feel the need to run from God when they stumble in their recovery, or have a run-in with the law, or do something else that paralyzes them with shame because they forget the promises of the passages cited above. That often also means distancing from the church family.

It’s why I tell people new to our family that they will not be judged, nor will we express disappointment with them. The passages above teach us that through love, not scolding, God will use us to help people back on the path that leads to Him.

I pray that my story of an experience from more than 50 years ago inspires and encourages you to never be afraid to come before our Heavenly Father. By the blood of Jesus, we never have to hide in the spare room from Him!

Pastor Jerry Bader