Me and the Cows

If only I had a picture of what RM told me he did.  He, too, wishes he a picture.  So, instead, no picture, try to imagine this.  Our electric fence has been broken for awhile.  No matter.  The cows know even if it isn't working, it could still shock them, so they stay far away from it.  But not during the Spring....all the nice green grass is growing just on the other side of the fence....so close, yet so far......or is it that far?  Those crazy cows decided it was worth the risk to find out.  A few of those crazy cows, at least 2-4 at a time, figured out the fence wasn't shocking them anymore and for the last few days....we always have cows out.

Usually they just stick around the pasture and eat the long green grass growing right beside them, but some mornings we wake up and their is "evidence" they've been much further around the property! They party all night!

We knew we had to fix the fence, but, like most things, it is no small matter.  Thursday was my last straw.  We were heading out for the day and I had all the kids in the car when I noticed a cow out. I only wish there had been an aerial video being taken of me.  It would have gone viral.  I must have run all around the farm.  I was sweating buckets by the time I got her in.  I just kept thinking, "Is this how I'm going to die?"

The next day was my husband's final straw.  Same thing.  A bunch of cows out.  But this time he drove down there to shoo them in.  Then, and this is where he wishes he had a camera....he followed the cows in and stood in the middle of the herd.  They seemed to form a circle around him and he then proceeded to give them a lecture, "This has to stop.  You have lots of fine grass in here.  I'm going to fix the fence.  You are going to have to stop escaping.  I've had enough of this."  Instead of stampeding him, they just stood there chewing their cud, listening politely.  He left, feeling somewhat proud of his lecture.  They didn't listen for long.  The cows were back out within a few minutes.

Yesterday, he got the needed supplies and went to work on the fence.  It's too foggy to look, but I'm fairly certain no cows are out today.  They were probably rudely awakened by the farmer's good work.  They should listen to his lectures next time.  Makes for good humour!

I guess I'm a little like the cows.  Grass is greener on the other side.  I let envy rule my thoughts or discontentment.  Instead of looking around and seeing there is enough green grass for me right here. I wish I had greener grass, longer grass, more grass.   I'm even willing to risk getting zapped to get the other grass.  I don't trust my Heavenly Farmer who promises to feed me every day.  So I step outside of my fencing.  Wait, there's no zap.  Sometimes the Farmer doesn't always "zap" us.  He allows us to step outside His laws and learn the hard way.  But, I listened to a preacher this week who talked about God's moral and physical laws.  No matter what, we can't break them.  They will inevitably and always break us.  He'll turn the fence on eventually.

The cows are a good lesson to me.  We are rebuilding the ruins here at the farm.  This weekend we were fixing eavestroughs all around the house.  Who even cares about eavestroughs????  I would much rather invest time and money in something that is aesthetically pleasing, thank you.  But the water keeps dripping into our basement as the eavestroughs are all broken, so it had to be done.  Yet, it is another way to slowly but surely rebuild the ruins.  One step at a time.  There is no magic wand. What keeps me from being discontent it by simply counting my blessings.  And there are so many. I was at a funeral for my friend's mom who passed away a couple of weeks ago at 74.  I still have both sets of parents!  And I'm so grateful for that.  I could stop right there, but there are so many blessings. Too many to count.

Every time I look at the cows this week, I will now purposely choose to picture them as brown, furry, versions of me - in a pasture, safe, fenced in, lots of food around, even other furry family members near me.  I would tell them if I could, "Stay in your perfect pasture.  Be content.  Don't try to leave and think it's better somewhere else.  Don't listen to the lies that the sparrows might tell you!  You have just what you need.  Beware of the fence!"