On Fixing Old Fences
And Dealing with Miscreant Goats
Last week my beloved goats got out a minimum of four times, and the last time made the neighborhood Falling Water Facebook page. (Not the way I wanted to be famous in my community, I can tell you.)
No one got hurt, thankfully, and my neighbors are the most patient of people. But what rankled me most was that these goats were trespassing through fences I’d already repaired and reinforced.
When the contractor doing work on my neighbor’s house on the right asked if he could remove his step ladder from the latest fence hole my goat had slipped through, I assured him he could because I’d zip-tied extra chain link over the opening and hammered tines into the ground to keep it in place. There was no way my goat could slip under that. And she didn’t.
She just merely side-stepped my reinforced section of fencing and made a new hole where the step ladder was no longer a deterrent.
Within an hour, I got the dreaded text message informing me that my goat had gotten out yet again.
This led to more zip ties, logs, and heavy rocks to barricade the bottom of the fence. But the moment I tied up my first miscreant goat, I spotted three more making a break for it at the opposite end of the yard! They had pushed over a rotting post and were happily eating my other neighbor’s blackberry bushes — two minutes before I was supposed to leave to pick up my son from school.
At this point, goat vindaloo may have come to mind …
At least in this case, I had already gotten permission for my goats to eat my neighbor’s brambles. But I didn’t want them to wander onto other parts of her property and start eating more valuable plants. (My neighbor is practically a master gardener, and I quake to think of the damage my animals could do to her carefully-planned flora.)
I dashed toward the three naughty ruminants, dragged them to the correct side of the fence, and propped up the damaged post as well as I could. Fence repairs would simply have to wait while I retrieved my son. I drove off with low-level anxiety that my goats would push their boundaries in my absence. But they didn’t …
… at least not for another 24 hours.
Although I had already secured over a hundred feet of our front fence with both hardware cloth and netting, I had not checked the fence in months. Therefore, I didn’t realize the goats had pushed holes in the netting until I got the text with a screenshot of our neighborhood Facebook page featuring a photo of my caprine responsibilities in yet another neighbor’s yard.
Apparently, they had been nibbling greens at the edge of the road, and someone had mercifully directed them away from traffic and requested anyone who knew my number to let me know about my furry runaways.
I received more than one text.
The irony, of course, was that all these escapades happened the week before I was to teach a homesteading workshop entitled, “All About Goats” — as if I’d had the little browsers all figured out.
God has a funny sense of humor.
During the workshop, I definitely highlighted the fact that goats are unapologetic Houdinis on four legs. Never mind that they have lush green grass on their own side of the fence. For some irrational reason they are often fascinated by what lies just beyond their proper boundaries.
Good thing we’re smarter than goats, right?
The problem with my fences was not that they were in the wrong place or that there was not enough food for the animals they enclosed. The problem was that I had neglected to check my fences in a while and didn’t realize there was some mending to be done.
This got me to thinking of the other metaphorical fences in my life. Lately, I’ve been surprised as certain sins have crept through some boundaries I thought were well in tact. Old temptations I thought I was spiritually mature enough not to be affected by anymore have somehow rammed their ugly heads through my fence netting!
At this juncture, some may advise me to simply knock over my fences. After all, it would be far easier to allow my emotions, words, and desires to free range. Aren’t fences merely repressive constraints placed upon an individual through one’s family, culture, or religion? What an oppressive thing to say, “No,” to any honest feeling. What an unhappy and inauthentic way to live. Down with all fences! And down with anyone who tries to impose a fence on us!
But I’ve seen enough roadkill to know that a life without boundaries can be rather short. Fences should help promote safety and clarity — not bar out community.
In an era where it’s popular to “deconstruct” one’s faith — often to the failure of constructing anything useful in its place — I find it more needful to reinforce the good boundaries in my life.
If I tell myself I’m too busy or tired to read Scripture or connect with my Savior, my fences may start rusting across all areas. If I know that eating out of entitlement or boredom while constantly excusing myself from exercise will lead to compromised health, I should probably raise that fallen chain link.
If I know certain unedifying words come much more readily to mind (especially if my goats get out) when I’m watching certain shows which are crammed with them, then maybe I need to reinforce an old post and find something more positive to dwell on.
If I am tempted to hide an attraction from my spouse when I know keeping such a secret would lead to relational distance or threaten my marriage down the road, then maybe I need to reconstruct a gate and reestablish good communication with my husband.
I could keep going in this line, but I think you get the idea.
Unfortunately, as my goats have been recently highlighting for me, even good fences in the right places are not enough to perfectly protect.
The fact is, I identify way more with my stubborn goat than with a diligent master fence-builder.
Thankfully, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who always goes after the wandering one. And when He finds his miscreant flock member, He is not harsh or disappointed but rather celebrates the return of the lost.
So what if you’re a member of the flock and find the Shepherd’s pasture a little bland of late? What if the grass growing on the other side of the fence seems more vibrant and nutritious — even though you know it’s not meant for you? How do we regain a sense of contentment and growing trust in our Good Shepherd?
Revelation 2 gives us a clue in Christ’s letter to the church in Ephesus:
“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary…”
(Sounds like the Ephesians had good fences.)
“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
(Ouch. Good fences aren’t enough. So how do we get back on track?)
“Therefore remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent.” verses 2-5
How do we fall back in love with the Shepherd?
We remember. We repent. And we do the deeds we did at first. We don’t destroy the fences; we mend them. And we trust the Good Shepherd to keep us close knowing He’ll come for us if we wander.
Hopefully, I can learn to be a better imitator of Christ as I shepherd my literal herd of stubborn goats. They can be such a pain, sometimes!
But oh, I do love them.
I think having a mini-farm is good for the soul--I love this reminder!
Excellently done - thank you for sharing this truth so well!