Separation Anxiety: Cows, Calves, and People

Separation Anxiety: Cows, Calves, and People 



Cows and calves are interesting creatures, as are the folks who tend them.


My knowledge of bovines is limited. As a child, spending time with Granddaddy and his cows gave me some of my favorite childhood memories. I smile every time I recall milking his cow named Connie or letting her calf suck my finger.


Several weeks ago, my husband, Guy, and I spent a couple of days with our new friends J.D. and Diane on their ranch. What a great time we had, sharing life and getting better acquainted with this precious couple. 


They welcomed us with arms wide open, extending Texas hospitality beyond our expectations. It occurred to me that though we were newly acquainted, we already loved one another. The common bond was Jesus and we all knew it beforehand. We were brethren, after all.  


Guy and I soon discovered that J.D. is a good teacher and the first thing we learned from him is that he loves his animals. His dog, bull, donkeys, and herd of cows are blessed creatures to have him as their owner.


One of the many things he taught us about cows deals with the anxiety of weaning a calf from its mother. J.D. says there are different methods, but he prefers what seems to be the most humane. 

Photo by Connie Wohlford at the Cross-Dubya Ranch

He puts each in a pasture separated by a wire fence so they can at least be close together. For a while they fret and bawl but eventually adjust. The calf will have already begun to eat grown-up food and soon realizes it is not dependent on its mother’s milk.  



This recently attained cow lesson came to mind when I encountered a cow/calf story in my Bible. 



The Philistines were longtime enemies of God’s people, the Israelites. They were elated to have defeated the Israelites in a battle in which they captured the Ark of God. Acquiring the Ark dealt a heavy blow to God’s people because it represented the presence of God. (The story is recorded in 1 Samuel, chapters 4-6.)


The Philistines took their prize to Ashdod and placed it in the house of Dagon next to the statue of their god, Dagon. The next morning the people found that Dagon had “fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So, they took Dagon and set it in its place again” (1 Samuel 5:3).

Internet Photo

When the sun rose the next day, they found Dagon again on the floor—this time broken into four parts. In addition, the people of Ashdod and surrounding area were struck with a plague. 


Knowing they needed to get the Ark from their midst, they took it to their neighbors in Gath. As the gift that keeps on giving, the people of Gath experienced the plague as well. 


“Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, ‘They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people!’” (1 Samuel 5:10).


The lords of the Philistines gathered together and decided the ark needed to return to its own people. The question was how?


They prepared a trespass offering, consisting of items of gold, and devised a plan. They built a new cart to carry the Ark along with a chest containing the trespass offering. 


They hitched the cart to two cows which had never been yoked and removed their calves from them. Then they sent the cows, pulling the cart away and watched to see what would happen. 


“Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh” (1 Samuel 6:12).


Beth Shemesh was about twelve miles away from Ekron. The story continues, telling us the cows walked into the field of an Israelite named Joshua and stopped there. They had arrived at their destination.


Isn’t that amazing? The cows went exactly where they needed to go without being led by anyone. If that in itself is not enough, it’s incredible that they did not try to turn back to their calves.  


The Lord God of Israel guided the cows. He also took care of the natural separation anxiety which might have caused them to resist or to miss their mark. 


In these days of the Corona Pandemic, many are suffering separation anxiety. Separation from loved ones is one of the toughest. 


We could site many other examples. Last week a friend of ours could not be at the bedside of her beloved grandmother as she drew her last breath. Even newborns in the hospital neonatal units cannot have their parents with them. The thought of that brings tears to my eyes. 


Separation anxiety of school children from friends and teachers—of workers from coworkers—of friends from friends, is distressing for many people, especially extroverts. Our high school senior grandson and his friends are  saddened to have essentially ended their senior year in March with no more sports banquets, no prom, no baccalaureate, and no graduation ceremony, and no hanging out at Cookout or youth group. And separation of workers from their paychecks is causing considerable anxiety for a lot of people.  


But, lets remember the cows in First Samuel. At the point of separating the cows from the calves, God intervened. We’re told nothing more about the calves, but we know that the cows accomplished their task. They went beyond their own nature because the hand of God, or perhaps the assistance of His angels, guided them every step of the way. 


During this period of separation, God has a plan and He saw it coming from the start. He is ever-present and does not want to waste an opportunity to use the hardships we’re enduring to grow us and to build His kingdom. 


Let’s stay tuned in to God through meditation on His Word, prayer, and listening to His Spirit. Let’s embrace His leading along this unfamiliar road so we can reach the right destination. At this point, only He knows where that is located. Let’s remember the cows. 



All Bible quotes are taken from the New King James Version.

©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford