Spiritual Lesson from a Shearer...

My family and I went to an alpaca shearing on Saturday. We learned a lot. 

Such as, the alpaca must be tied down during the process for their own protection. 

If someone looked at the process and didn't understand it was for the alpaca's protection, they could misconstrue the intent of the shearer. There are times in our spiritual walk when God needs to "tie" us down for our protection. Others may not understand God's intent and believe He is being a cruel shearer.  Yet, we know the process is necessary. How does one know?

The answer is simple: Spending time with God. 

As we spend time with our Great Shearer we will we comprehend the need for the shearing. However, this is not once a week time in the bible while attending Sunday service. It is intentional time daily in our bibles and talking to our loving Shearer. There are benefits from being sheared. At the alpaca farm they weigh the alpaca before and after the shearing to see how much weight has been removed during the shearing process. God's shearing has benefits too. He wants us to free to walk in His grace. He doesn't want us to be held down by unnecessary weight. No...I am not talking about physical weight here. However, God can remove this too, if this is what is holding you from walking in the freedom God desires for you. 

What is holding you down from walking in your freedom? Each of us have something...

The problem is we fight Him. The alpaca fought too. She did not willingly let them put the straps on her. The difference is the alpaca's shearer can't explain the process to her, even though the pinning down is for her own good. This is where we are different than the alpaca's I saw on Saturday. Different because I can communicate and more importantly connect with the Great Shearer. Yet, even though there is communication and connection available to me. I don't always take advantage of it. Furthermore, I have been known on more than one occasion to fight during the shearing. Upon being nicked because of my fighting, I have the audacity to blame the shearer. Can I get an "Amen" or am I alone here in this reaction? 

While we were at the alpaca farm, the shearer got cut during the process. His words resonated with me as he sprayed a solution on his cut. He stated, "It is always better for the shearer to be cut than the alpaca." His love and care for the alpaca reminded me of all the sacrifices God makes for me on a daily...no minute-by-minute basis in my life. 

It is time to stop fighting and understand that God has my best interest at heart. 

Where are you today? Are you fighting God while He is trying to shear? 

P.S. While writing this I remembered a great video by The Skit Guys who represents how we are with God when He wants to remove stuff "weighing us down." May the video and the alpaca shearing come to mind this week; when God is removing the stuff in our lives "holding" us from walking in the freedom He desires for us.