BABY BETTY

"...and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."
John 10:4b

      Last evening at Bible class, our teacher, Linda Greyshock, was stressing the importance of hearing from God.  She stated that God talks to all of us, but we either don't believe it or we aren't listening.  Linda pointed out that all through the Bible God talked to His people, giving examples of Abraham, Noah, and Joseph, in the Old Testament.  In the New Testament there was Mary, John, and Paul, just to name a few.

      Linda emphasized that God speaks to us in a variety of ways including dreams and visions, or, a knowing in your heart.  You don't necessarily hear Him speak with your ears, though there are many instances where people have heard the audible voice of God.

      Linda had us read Scriptures in the Gospel of John, chapter 10, where Jesus is teaching the lesson about the shepherd and his sheep.  She made it clear that the shepherd knows his sheep and they know the shepherd's voice.  This brought to mind an incident that happened while we lived in rural Escondido, California.

      My husband R.J. had just recently retired from the Navy and went to work at the Naval Annex in Fallbrook, California.  At the end of the school year we moved to a three-and-a-half acre former chicken ranch just outside of Escondido.  We moved from city living in Imperial Beach to wide open spaces in the country.  Our three youngest children still at home, Jerry-15, John-11, and Audrey-6, were excited about our new adventure.

      R.J. had been raised on a farm in Missouri and wasted no time in planting a huge garden.  I ordered some day-old baby chicks and cared for them in an old wine cellar near the house.  Next, we bought some day-old calves to raise our own beef.  One calf I bought was a little black heifer I named Baby Betty.

      One weekend we decided to visit R.J.'s brother Noel, and his wife, Doris, in Palmdale, about a hundred miles away.  Jerry stayed home because he had a part-time job and agreed to feed our animals while we were gone.  On Sunday morning Jerry called and said, "Mom, Baby Betty broke through the fence and is over in the neighbor's field with their calves."  I said, "Well, don't worry about it, Jerry.  We'll be home this afternoon and see about getting Baby Betty back into our field."

      When we came home and turned in our road, R.J. said, "How will we ever get our calf out from among all those calves?  They all look alike."  I said, "Stop the car and let me out."  I walked over to the fence and looked at the calves contentedly grazing at the far end of the field.  I called as loud as I could, "Baby Betty, Come on, Baby Betty."  Suddenly, one little black calf cut out from the herd and came bounding across the field towards me.  I kept calling her until she stood in front of me.  R.J. remarked, "Well, who would believe it.  Baby Betty knows your voice!"

      It was no surprise to me.  The calves and even the chickens always came running when they heard my voice because they knew I took care of them.  It was comical to see the calves suddenly lift their heads from grazing and charge toward the fence when I was calling John and Audrey for lunch.  Those cows would stand at the fence mooing until I went over and pulled a hand full of grass for them.  I guess I treated them like pets.

      Many years later, when I read the Bible for the first time and came to John, chapter 10, about the shepherd and his sheep I recalled that little black heifer named Baby Betty.  I felt a closeness to Jesus that has never left me to this day.  He is my Shepherd and I know His voice!