A few weeks ago, we tried to use our gas grill only to find a nest of baby birds inside! And there are at least 8 kittens following their mamas around the ranch. They are too wild to catch, but they sure are fun to watch as they play together. Thanks to Diana, we have been babysitting a puppy this week. She has been a joy to have around, making us laugh and smile when she unrolled a roll of toilet paper, or grabbed one of Joanna's old shoes. Of course, part of the reason she has been so much fun is because Joanna has the real responsibility for her, including feeding, walking, and cleaning up after her accidents!
It is Spring! I didn't think I would really be able to tell that here since there are no major seasonal changes, like in Indiana. There is no rain, like Indiana has had for the last 3 days, the temperature has been consistently in the 80's, while in Indiana they have had extremes from 40's to high 70's, I believe. But despite the differences in the weather, one thing remains the same...Spring means babies!
Wednesday was a special day here at the Ranch. While Mark was blogging about our time with Joce, Joanna and I were down with the cows, watching the birth of a brand new calf. I, of course, wanted to take pictures so I skipped breakfast so I wouldn't miss a thing!
The mama cow was in considerable pain awaiting the birth of her baby. Cirino checked the baby and one front hoof was bent so he was going to have to help the cow.
Not only did Cirino help, but it took 4 people pulling to bring the baby into the world!
Within the hour, we had a black baby bull lying on the ground. I have to admit he wasn't so pretty when he arrived. 
His mama spent quite a bit of time cleaning him up. I waited a long time, hoping to see him stand on his own, but he never did. I finally went back to work up at the main house. Later we found out from Cirino that the baby was having trouble. He could not stand, and therefore could not drink. It seems that maybe the bent hoof is the problem. Cirino splinted the leg yesterday and created the funniest looking bottle I've ever seen to try to get the baby to eat. 
Yesterday when I went down to check on him, the first thing I noticed was that he was a different color! Yesterday he was black, just like his mom, but today, after being cleaned up, you can see that he is really gray!It made me think about my life, and all the blackness I have inside that I need Jesus to clean up for me. I need the blackness removed so I can have life everlasting with God, just like the calf needed help getting clean. He never could have done that himself. And it was not a very pleasant job for his mama to clean him, but she didn't care. She loved him enough to tackle that burden. Jesus loves us even more than that mama cow loves her baby, and he took on our blackness, and cleaned us up to get us ready for heaven. Even though the baby changed colors and is now a beautiful smokey gray today, Jesus completely took our sins away, and we are washed "as white as snow."
The baby is still not out of the woods yet. He needs nourishment to get strong enough to stand. He needs to stand to get nourishment. So do we! He needs milk. We need the Bread of Life and Living Water. Pray that the baby will fight to survive. Pray that he will thrive and get the things he needs to live. But more importantly, pray that the people hearing the good news of Jesus Christ this week would see their need for a Savior, for Jesus. Pray that they will be washed whiter than snow, and will drink deeply from the Living Water that only He can provide.
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, let the bones you have crushed rejoice." Psalm 51:7-8
"Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
No comments:
Post a Comment