One day, I told my son to set free the goats we raise at home out in the field. Around the time the sun was setting down, I was trying to bring the goats back in after cutting grass, but then the stream water overflew and rose up to my knee. We had to cross over the stream, but the goats wouldn’t budge. So I carried the little goat and the grass on my shoulder to cross over the stream; then the mother goat and the other little goats followed me to cross over the stream.
By the time we got to the middle of the stream, suddenly, one little goat got swept away by the water. The current was strong. It was dangerous. Then, the mother goat began to bitterly cry and swim toward the little goat. I tried to deter the mother goat from following the little one, but she was determined. The mother goat swam toward her young, barely sticking her head out of the water.
Obviously, it was a very risky situation even for the mother goat, but she didn’t look after her own life. Although she was against the strong current of the stream, she eventually saved her young with all her might. It was amazing.
Going back home, many thoughts came to my mind.
‘It is a just a trivial animal. But where does such great love toward the baby come from? Where does the great maternal love that saves the baby even at the risk of the mother’s life, come from?’
The love of the mother goat, who saved her baby even at the risk of her own life, seemed to reflect the great love of Heavenly Mother who gave birth to our souls and protects us.
These days, we often come across the news that hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives, due to COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, and earthquakes. In this age full of disasters, our Heavenly Mother always embraces and protects us with Her love. I’m already thankful to Mother for saving me from the punishment of the lake of fire, but She also protects us from disasters with Her great love. Reflecting on my past days stained with sin and disobedience, I cannot hold back my tears. How heartbroken Heavenly Mother must have been!
From now on, I will live a life of obedience, only pleasing Heavenly Mother; I want to be a comfort even a little bit to Heavenly Mother who is worried about Her children who are not yet found in this disastrous world.