Cows, Ebenezers, and Provision

Somewhere in a drawer in our guest bedroom, you might find a stash of white t-shirts with black spots, black ears attached to old headbands, and maybe a cow tail or two. Somewhere in the depths of my craft supplies you'd find a collection of felt spots, which I save from year to year. 

(By the way, my bio at the bottom of this post contains affiliate links.)

Each July, my favorite fast food chain hosts Cow Appreciation Day. On this day at Chick-fil-A, if you order your food dressed up like a cow, you get free food. Today I remembered the time my husband and I took six children there for lunch and didn't pay a penny, because we all looked like cows. (It's one of those beauty-in-barrenness moments when a couple who has yet been unable to have children manages to lasso a herd of them into a restaurant. )

Today I also reflected on how Chick-fil-A isn't just a pleasant place with good food and wonderful service, it's not just a restaurant whose values I appreciate and whose founder I admire, it's not just one of my former employers - it's a place that reminds me of God's tremendous provision in our lives. I could tell you many stories about God's provision, but today I remember one particular Ebenezer. 

I Samuel 7:12 says, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'"

One morning, a month before we moved to the D.C. area for my husband to attend graduate school, Mike and I went to breakfast at our local Chick-fil-A. It was the restaurant’s annual Cow Appreciation Day. (I’m convinced that the only thing better than a Chick-fil-A meal is a free Chick-fil-A meal.) 

On that sunny morning, Mike and I might have looked a little silly donning our cow ears and spotted t-shirts, but we enjoyed our free chicken breakfast before heading to each of our jobs.

I had a few minutes at home before I needed to clock in, so I killed time in one of my favorite ways: I logged into Facebook. The Chick-fil-A restaurant that we had just visted had been running an online promotion for weeks – they would place their cow mascot somewhere in our town and then post a picture on Facebook. The first person to guess the location correctly would win a free meal.

When I pulled up Facebook on my computer, I saw the picture of the little stuffed cow sitting outside of a building. Immediately I recognized the location, because Mike and I had taken a walk past that art museum not long before. I quickly typed in the name of the museum into the comments. 

I couldn’t believe that I was first! I had won!

I don’t share this story with you to tell you that I won a free meal. Because it was Cow Appreciation Day, the restaurant was being extremely generous, and they gave the winner that day a year’s supply of Chick-fil-A – otherwise known as 52 coupons for free meals. You might be able to say this was simply being on the right Facebook post at the right time, but without a doubt, this was a gift from God. He knew that Mike and I were about to take a major cut to our income. He knew that date nights would need to be cheaper. God knew that this would make us smile – and in this way He provided hundreds of dollars for us to enjoy free date nights during the financially leaner years of graduate school.

So today, when I set foot into Chick-fil-A dressed in a cow costume, I couldn't help but remember that thus far the Lord has helped us. 

I love the hymn that says, "Come Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace." The second verse says, "Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I've come..." Those words came to mind today as I donned my spotted shirt and remembered what God had done.

What reminds you of God's goodness? What is your Ebenezer, where you remember Who has been helping you through the challenge you're facing? For me it's a silly cow costume. For you it might be something else. Let's all taste and see His goodness in our lives, and let's share about it! 

I encourage you to follow along, because one day (hopefully) soon, I'll publish a book I've been writing. It tells stories of how I'm learning to see God's goodness right here and now, even in the barren places, even in lack or disappointment. I've experienced plenty of struggles, but when I tune my heart to sing His grace and look for His blessings, there is so much good to be found! To subscribe to my newsletter, please fill out this form.

"Thus far the Lord has helped us."

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Affiliate link disclosure: I, Betsy Herman, participate in the Amazon Affiliate Program, which means that I will earn a small commission from Amazon when you shop through the links on my site. This income helps to pay for my website’s expenses – so thanks!

Hi, I’m Betsy, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area with my husband, Mike. We have been married since 2008. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot and doing life as a team.

I write because I feel called and I enjoy it, and I hope that my words point you toward God! My first book, Embracing Hope During Infertility is intended to infuse hope into your heart! Seasons is my second book, and although it's written for children, it will point you toward the goodness of God - even in the darkest times.

You can learn more about me here. I would love for you to connect with me by following my Hope During Infertility Facebook page or my Betsy Herman, Writer Facebook page. I’m also on Instagram and Twitter as @lovethatbetsy.

Thanks so much for reading this post!