While staying with the Marr family, I get to milk the two nanny-goats 5-6 mornings a week. The other morning, while going about said job, I discovered something: Goats are ungrateful. And further? Lizards are ungrateful too.
It started when I found the creature who I’ll call Monsieur Lizard, in the goat’s feed pail. Floundering helplessly, he danced in circles, flipping around in terror. Poor thing!
Or so I originally thought.
I had the brilliant plan of rescuing Monsieur Lizard. He was only as long as my palm and not even as thick as my index finger. A little guy. Rescuing, however, proved much more difficult than I thought! He avoided my hand to the point I felt sure I was going to give him a fatal injury through capture! He danced and jumped with the skill of an acrobat and managed to circle that pail half a dozen times before I could get a hold on him! When, at last, I had rescued him from the fate of meeting a goat nose – or worse – a mouthful of goat teeth, how did he repay me?
He bit me! That little lizard clamped his jaws around my finger and bit me!
How does that make a goat ungrateful? It doesn’t.
About five minutes later, I was getting ready to milk Flopsy, the biggest and bossiest of the two goats. Usually, I give her oats to eat while I milk her, but this morning, there weren’t any available. Nevertheless, oats or not, she needed to be milked.
We gave her some creosote (leaves of a plant) to eat and I began trying to milk. Was she happy? Did she thank me? After all, she would find herself pretty uncomfortable by nightfall, if I didn’t do my job. But was she grateful?
The answer is no. Instead, she kicked me. Not once, not twice, not thrice – she kicked my hand at least four or five times! And goat hoofs can be sharp! Not to mention hard!
You’d think both Monsieur Lizard and Flopsy could show a little more thankfulness!
Then, you know, I got to thinking… How often, when my LORD rescues me from something, do I fail to trust Him? How often do I “bite” at Him instead? Perhaps with the things I say or think?
How often, when He helps me in a way I don’t like, do I kick at His will? Instead of joyfully accepting His hand?
How often do I act like the ungrateful lizard or the thankless goat?
I still rescued Monsieur Lizard and I finished milking Flopsy. And so my gracious LORD always continues to faithfully help me – I who am far more undeserving than a frightened reptile or a stubborn animal. ‘Twas a good reminder. Praise Him for His mercy!
To the KING be all the glory!
