Our family farm included cattle. When a mama cow died or couldn’t take care of her calf, feeding responsibilities deferred to one of us. I enjoyed it (most of the time). It was like adventures in adoption – but with a lot less work and worry.

In order to feed the calf, we placed powdered formula in a large bottle, added milk, placed the nipple on the bottle and shook until well-mixed. Getting the nipple securely on the bottle was the tricky part. I don’t know what the bottles look like now, but back then, the only way to get the nipple securely onto the bottle was to turn the base of it inside out, hold it securely onto the top of the bottle and carefully flip the base over the neck of the bottle. If it wasn’t on straight or completely, I’d have to pry the bottle apart and try again. All this wrestling went on while the bottle was full. Like anything else, the more often I did it, the better and faster I got.

The morning feeding had to take place before I left for school. I like efficiency, and it seemed silly for me to change into work clothes just to feed the calf and then change my clothes again for school. I’d been feeding this calf for quite a while, so surely I could dress in my school clothes.

Wrong. The calf pulled on the bottle hard enough that I had to hold the bottle with both hands and counter the calf’s weight by leaning back slightly. The calf’s pulling power is the reason the bottle must be put together correctly. It looked like it was…but after about thirty seconds of tugging, the bottle and nipple flew apart, and I staggered backward, falling in the straw as milk flew all over me.

Somehow, I then had to figure out a way to make another bottle, feed the calf, change my clothes and still be ready for school on time! I don’t remember if I made it or not. I’m assuming I did. But I remember not quite being able to get the smell of the milk off me. I imagined I smelled like it all day long even though anyone I asked said they couldn’t smell it.

When has something untimely happened? Something that disrupted your schedule, plans, or dreams?

How do you typically respond to “spilled milk,” or unexpected messes? Is there anything about your response you’d like to change?

Watch for spilled milk in your day. After the spill, consider it as an opportunity to take a different route, persevere through a challenge, or reprioritize. After all, it could be a learning experience for you to move beyond spilled milk to something better!

As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is. 1 Peter 2:2-3