Just Simply Sing--The Venezuelan Cow Story

I’m not sure if anyone has ever asked you what I’m about to ask you. In fact, I can almost 100% guarantee that no one has asked you this question before me! Here it is: Have you ever sang to a cow in the Andes Mountains of South America while at the front of a 3 car pile-up? Random, I know. But perhaps the funniest part about the question is that I can answer “yes” to it. Well, I can kind of answer yes to it. I wasn’t the person who actually sang to the cow, but I did witness this fortuitous display of vocal charm while doing a short term mission trip to Venezuela in 2001. And may I add that this is a day I will never forget!

Imagine in your mind’s eye a long, winding road going upward into the tropical mountains that you would see in a “National Geographic” magazine. Almost entirely rock and steep tropical jungle brush to one side, but on the other side…let’s just say if you hate heights you don’t want to look down! There is no railing on the “drop off” side, and the road is just barely wide enough for only the smallest of vehicles to pass. Now imagine yourself on an old bus that holds about 20 people. It’s dank, it’s humid and sticky, and the driver is a short, elderly Spanish man with a large belly and missing teeth. Rather like being in a movie, isn’t it?

I don’t really remember our destination that day, but images of that dim-witted cow are forever burned into my memory. You see, we were going up on this winding road in our old bus, and there were two small cars behind us. There aren’t really road rules in Venezuela (or should I say, road rules aren’t completely followed there), so we were actually racing up the mountain road. There were eleven of us, all a bit enthralled by the country side but likewise quite nervous at the speed the bus driver was taking. We were just coming up to a tropical area when we felt a jerk and the back of the bus (where I was sitting) swerved off the road, over the cliffs to one side, and then back onto the road again! You see, a cow had come from the jungle and made it’s way down onto the road in front of us, and would not move for anything. We stopped sharply, as did the two cars behind us, and our journey was put on hold while we tried to get the cow to go back up into the mountains so that we could continue. My heart still races even thinking about it all! But it was definitely a great personal lesson to me.

This is what I’m dealing with currently that I’m sure everyone can identify with: How can I get by when things are piling up around me and I feel like I can’t make it over the mountain? Proverbs 15:24 says “The path of life leads upward for the wise…”, but what happens when your journey “up” comes to a screeching halt because of a road block? How do you continue the journey to your destination when something suddenly blocks your path?

“ ‘Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,’ says the Lord. ” –Isaiah 54:1


In Isaiah, the Hebrew word for “barren” means incapable of producing life; sterile. There will always be times in life when we feel “lifeless” and “sterile.” But the scripture says here that the person who is barren should SING, should burst into song and shout for joy. Even when we don’t know how to continue, “singing” will always work to get us through.

When a person sings praises to God, they are less likely to give up because their focus is not on their circumstances, but on the beauty of the Lord. Singing isn’t necessarily being on “Idol” level, either. Just opening your mouth and declaring the good things in your life…the goodness of God…is enough to make the road blocks disappear. Every human also has a small amount of influence in someone’s life. So when we allow these roadblocks to hold us back, we also hold back the people who are following us.

Now quickly back to the cow story. You see, the greatest part of this story is that we finally got the cow to move…but only after our bus driver SANG to it! I know it sounds absurd, but our beautiful little Spanish bus driver realized that the cow wasn’t going to move by force, so he simply sang an old Spanish love song to the animal. Literally within seconds, the cow hustled off into the mountain again, and we were able to continue on our journey with the two little cars also following behind us.

Based on what I learned that day, here are three things that I’m learning to do to “sing” my way over that mountain:
1. Make a choice.
--Deut.30:20 says “therefore, choose life…” It’s simply a choice.
-- Isa.54:1 begins with a lack of life (barren), but after singing, it ends with abundant life (more are the children of the desolate woman..)!
Imagine what you’d miss if you DIDN’T choose to sing….

2. Open your mouth.
--Rom.12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the
WORD of their testimony…” If you are a Christian, then this promise is
for you! What is your “testimony?” How has Jesus changed your life?
What are all the good things that God has done for you? After you make a
choice, all you have to do is verbalize it to God (and to your enemy).

3. Don’t give up.
--In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with God and doesn’t give up. He’s hurt, he’s tired, he’s wrestling with GOD, but he doesn’t give up all night! You cannot give up…just keep singing.


At the moment in my life, things have the appearance of being rather difficult at times. My wonderful husband and I are on a journey with a destination in mind, but it seems that we keep being given these roadblocks that hold us back. I guess more than anything, I just want to learn to sing consistently, whether in good times or bad. I have to choose, to actually take action, and not give up. I refuse to live an ORDINARY life.

Honestly now, singing to a cow in the Andes Mountains is hardly ordinary :)