The Raised Up Calf
May 21st, 2006 by Northern FarmerSunday evening and all is well out here on the farm. Kinda quiet out this evening, cool outside, we even had a frost this morning. But the promise is for some warmer weather on the way. We’ll take the warmer weather. I hope we can finish off the garden by the end of the week. We should, especially if it warms up a bit and we don’t have to wear so many clothes, with the additional weight tiring a person out, well I guess just tiring me out, not a spring chicken anymore you know.
But as the week gets started, things are looking up with no problems to speak of, or no problems that I know about anyhow. Last evening I figured a calf would die. It was born at noon yesterday and was the weakest critter I ever seen. It couldn’t even move around let alone get up. I thought it would be dead by morning and I’d take the cow and lock it up and force adopt a twin calf born this past week onto the cow. This morning coming out of the house the calf that should have been dead or at least dying was running around outside and a little while later it was sucking milk from her mamma. Chalk up another miracle around here. Now I’m not new at raising cows and calves and I declared this one beyond repair, didn’t even pay to bring it inside, throw her momma in the chute, milk the mamma, and then stomach tube the baby calf. No, it was in to bad a shape for me to play rodeo. So I looked at the little rubbery calf last evening before sundown and told God, these are your cattle Lord, I want this calf to live and I’m a part of the body of Christ, so now I figure you’ll make everything better for it. I said, “I know my mind says it’s not very likely, but I trust in You with my heartâ€. And from almost dead to totally healed overnight, a person just has to smile. That’s like so many other things that the world says is impossible, and they’re right, it is impossible for the world, but not impossible for God and His family.
So tomorrow I’ll head to town and buy a bag of milk replacer for the twin calf I was going to graft onto that mamma cow. No big deal, it’ll do OK, because sometimes twins don’t work out all that well with cows. So, that’s what’s happening here with the herd of cattle we steward for the Lord.
May 21st, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Tom,
We rejoice with you that the cow survived. Your farm was truly amazing - peaceful and beautiful - in the spring. We read John 10 for our morning service, where they talk about the Shepherd calling the sheep by name, knowing them by their faces. It reminded me of you and your cows and brought home the impact of the intimacy of our union with Christ.
Enjoy your summer.
Gwen
May 21st, 2006 at 8:52 pm
Wow!!!
Praise God from Whom all blessings Flow!!!
I’ve experienced a few miracles like that in my day. I once was raising some baby geese that we had hatched. They were about 2 weeks old and got caught outside in a sudden rain storm. When I found them, only 2 out of 6 showed any life at all. I put them all in a pail for some reason, brought them into the bathroom and proceeded to warm up the 2 showing signs of life in the sink.
The warmth of the water reawakened the first two so I tried warming up a third. After a minute or so of warm water, this dead baby goose woke up as well. So then I tried another and then another till I revived them all.
Praise God!!!! I’m not new to the life and death cycle on the farm either and I tell you, these baby geese had no life to them at all. Totally limp, cold, blurry eyed yet I was guided to pick up those limp baby geese and try—amazing.
The wonder of God’s Creation continually overwhelms me with a sense of awe!!!
May God continue to bless your farm ministry!
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:41 am
Gwen,
Thanks and I also received your e-mails that’ll help me out with photos on the site here, again thanks so much. And I’m glad you enjoyed your stay here last week, Oh, and thank Mark for getting the farm site e-mail up and running, it seems everything is running smooth. Best wishes on your journey to New York state today!
Steven,
Amazing story! And I beleive that you know what your talking about, when a person gains experience with animals they know when it ain’t lookin good. And to still see life return is an amazing wonder to behold. I’m with you on being overwhelmed with a sense of awe!
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:13 am
Tom,
Buying milk replacer ….? Sounds like another reason to get a good dairy cow.
Any milk that you couldn’t drink could be going to calves whose momma’s don’t have enough milk - plus the pigs will always delight in the milk.
I am happy to hear that the Lord revived the weak calf.
Jim
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:53 am
morning,
your place sounds like heaven to me, my dad use to milk cows, when I was a kid, and My husband and I use to milk goats, I miss it at times.
thanks for stopping by my blog!
I’m glad to hear the calf made it too!
have a great day!
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:55 am
Hi Northern Farmer,
Thanks for visiting! I’m glad to find your blog too, I read your entry, it’s really interesting about your Farm & how Jesus works His miracles!
I have linked your blog to mine, I hope you do not mind about it. Just hope to share your wonderful encounters with Jesus to all!
Have a good week ahead! God Bless!
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Jim,
Yup, I know, how embarrassing huh, now don’t you worry none, I’m still thinking about a Jersey cow. I’m dropping hints like nuts around here. But if the hints don’t take root I’ll get one by fall no matter what. I have that much athority around here, I think
Janice,
I’m glad you stopped over this way! That calf is just fine today, man, that was something else how that went from a total disaster to full recovery. But I shouldn’t be to surprised! Thanks!
Godwyn,
And I thank you for stopping by here. Our Associate Pastor, PJ, was over yesterday evening and we were discussing how the miracles happen around us all the time and our minds are on worldly things and don’t even notice. But that’s changing as faith increases! And thankyou for linking to this blog, you have to forgive me for a bit here. I haven’t figured out how to link properly since moving the blog here, but I’ll figure it out one of these days.
And God Bless you too!
Tom