A Homemaker's Hallelujahs: The Good Farmer

A couple of days ago one of our heifers was in labor with a new calf, which we're always grateful for. It was this particular heifer's first calf. After several hours of being in labor with no sign of a new little one, it is time to get concerned when it comes to cows and calving. So when the signs became obvious that the calf wasn't coming, it became time to "pull a calf," as my father-in-law calls it.

Me, being the birth junky and doula, wanted in on the calving action, but child duty kept me at home. I've never doula-d for a cow. Ha! But my hubby jokingly said something about not being sure how a cow would respond to counter-pressure or massage!

Nonetheless, Danny and my paw-in-law had to go out to tend to the cow, who was exhausted and making no progress. In these instances, many times one must tie a rope around one of the calves legs, and yes...pull. Makes me cringe to think about it. Sometimes this becomes necessary when a calf is already dead, but other times the calf is in a bad position. So once our laboring heifer was moved to the barn, the pulling began.

Thankfully, after a whole lot of work, a healthy calf was born, and the mama was alright as well.

A strange thing happened, though, shortly after the hard labor and birth of this heifer's first calf.
The heifer rejected her new calf.

It was not tending to it, or mothering it like a cow typically does with it's new calf. I've seen this in actual birth as well. At times, a new mom may have a traumatic birth or pregnancy, and will seemingly have no attachment to her new baby. It's very puzzling.

Our cow and it's calf were placed in a small pen where the mom would be more likely to nurture her baby. A little time passed, though, and the heifer broke out of the pen, going as far away from her calf as she could; all the way across the pasture and to the back of a small wooded area.

Danny came in thinking about that and quickly remembered this same thing happening a couple of times before. Both of the other times when a new mama cow rejected her calf, it was after a very hard birth. Strangely, those heifers would also flee their young, not showing the normal protection over, or nurture for their babies that most all heifers do.

This got my wheels spinning.

Trials...hard hearts...bitterness...

How many times do hard circumstances, trials, and hardships result in hardened and bitter hearts? Sometimes when things get really tough, people abandon everything they've always known as truth, and run far away from the very things they should treasure and hold dear.

At times in life we don't end up with the results we had hoped or planned for. Things that are totally outside of our control happen and we wonder why they're happening to us. If we're honest, it's caused us to grow bitter toward people and circumstances we should hold incredibly dear.

What can be done in those instances? When a heart has grown so cold from the hardness of life, and it seems that nothing will get through? Is there hope? What can make the difference?

There is one thing that can.

The Good Farmer. The Good Farmer (also known as the Good Shepherd) can make all of the difference in the world.

A couple of good farmers guided a certain heifer back to a small pen with her new calf. They made sure the heifer had what she needed, and gently helped her calf come close enough to nurse. Soon the calf was jumping and wagging its tail with excitement to have its mom so close, and to finally be getting its tummy full of its mom's warm milk.

It was only a matter of time and something amazing happened. The heifer remembered its duty. It remembered its treasure. Perhaps it forgot about the hard time it had birthing its first calf, when it was resting beside the new babe out in the pasture. Perhaps the hardship was forgotten, after it finally recognized the treasure it had right beside it.

There's another good farmer. He's an expert at mending broken hearts and turning hearts that are as hard as rock, into tender hearts. He has taken the most hopeless situations and turned them around. He picks up every broken piece offered to Him and re-forms it into something breathtakingly beautiful.

When He heals, it's as if the hardships are forgotten. When He brings about deliverance, the old us with all of its hang-ups and mistakes and guilt, seem to disappear into a distant dream in the light of the treasure we have in Him.

I'm so grateful for the Good Shepherd, Jesus. He is the Savior and Redeemer. Without Him, I'd surely be wondering aimlessly through life's fields and forests, not recognizing the true joys and treasures right before me. My good farmer gave me a new heart, and I've never been the same.