Description

Stopped Dead in His Tracks

Jared tells the story of a day when he was out farming. He had just finished harrowing his fields. Now, for those of you who do not know what a harrow is, it is a heavy spike-toothed implement that a farmer will drag over his field to tear up clods and other debris and make his ground more smooth.

Jared finished harrowing the field, unhooked it, and picked up the three-section harrow with the loader bucket on the front of his tractor, but as he did so, he realized the chain was twisted. That was not going to work. He couldn’t set them down properly like that. 

So, he stepped down off the tractor and started forward to grab the harrows by hand and straighten them out, but as he did so he was suddenly struck with—what—a vision? He saw clearly and distinctly himself lying on the ground with that harrow on top of him, the spikes piercing his legs deep. He said, “I could see every detail as if it had already happened.”

The image stopped him dead in his tracks. Slowly and carefully, he walked forward to the hanging harrows and reached up to straighten them. The moment he touched them, they came loose and crashed to the ground, but owing to his heightened sense of caution, he was able to jump out of the way. Jared concluded with this: 

“I have two memories from this day, and both are just as vivid as the other. One is what did happen and the other what would have happened had I not listened. I am so grateful that I did.” 

I am more convinced than I have ever been that the voice of God speaks to us constantly and persistently and we are not listening. I believe that it is a learned skill—a carefully developed talent to learn how to hear him. Just think of all the messages from Him that you and I have missed because we were otherwise distracted. 

Source: Jared Ashby. Original is with the author.