With everybody out of town except for me, a lot of the duties of the farm fell my way! I had to feed up every day, put out hay, and most importantly, I was on mom duty! I had to check on them. It is calving season and every day, sometimes multiple times a day, I had to go out and check on cattle. Not only do the expectant moms need checking, but the recently calved as well. Calves need to be checked to ensure that they are growing getting what they need!
Cows are just like humans in a lot of ways….not every new mom knows what to do and not every baby either! We had one kid that couldn’t figure out nursing and had to move to a bottle and cows are no different. Most of the time, nature does know how to take care of itself, but every now and then there’s a calf that has issues or is too weak or just can’t figure out how to nurse! There are times that cows have trouble giving birth, calves can be breach or even com backwards!
So having cows at calving time means riding around and checking the moms. While everyone was gone, I had two calves come easy, one set of twins and one that was born and fell in the pond! It was a crazy two weeks!
Riding around checking on everything got me to thinking of course. You know, people need to be checked on too. I have seen a lot of memes since Covid hit and alot of them say things like, “Check on the huggers, we are not ok!”, and funny things like that. But you know, it isn’t funny, it’s true!
A lot of people aren’t ok…. a lot. And they aren’t ok for a lot of reasons. But at some point, we have forgotten about personal contact and real friendships, outside of FB friends lists and followers.
You know for the most part our cows don’t tell us that they need to be checked on. Our friends did tell me about one of their cows that was standing at the gate one morning when they went to the barn. That was unusual, so he got to checking and she was in labor and the calf was backwards. He was able to help her because she asked for help in her cow way.
Most people don’t ask for help. There are people all around us hurting, struggling and they will never ask for help or prayer. They are fighting their battle all alone. It is our job to check on them; they need it.
I pondered this thought all through Thanksgiving and God really confirmed this to me on Black Friday. I was checking out at a store and an employee was there to assist me bagging a large item. I had noticed this lady as we went in the store earlier. She was cheerful, very early in the morning, she had a smile that I could see past her mask and she was greeting everyone. This same employee was standing in front of me and I heard His voice as He told me to encourage her.
Not knowing what would really come out of my mouth, I told The Lord I would check on this lady. She walked back to me and asked if I would fill out a survey on my receipt about her. I said, “Yes, for you I will.” She was startled and asked me, “For me, you mean only for me?” I told her yes, that I felt God had already told me to speak to her about her gift of encouragement. Her words, her smile, her joy… people needed that from her and she should continue to share that everywhere because she didn’t know who needed that simple gesture.
She began to cry and so did I as she told that she had recently lost 4 family members to Covid and that she was sharing joy to keep her own sanity and spirit hopeful. OH MY! Checking on her, had not only encouraged her, but boy, did it put a fire in me! We have got to check on them. Check on them! And especially those who seem ok…. they are not!
This lady gave the appearance of having it altogether and she was hanging by a thread. Sheila, my prayers are with you today that you feel God’s love in every smile you give and that others feel His love in every smile and word you share.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Friends, we have got to check on them! “And by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
Thank you Heather! Your words reminded me of two individuals i believe Gods put in my path recently that appeared happy outwardly but their eyes gave me a totally different message.
Both were doing their jobs with a pleasant voice and attitude even though they each had encountered some very rude customers ahead of me in line. I thanked them for their help when it was my turn and smiled and told them “God Bless You” as I was leaving, Their eyes then seemed to sparkle and they wished me the same.
A kind word is so easy to say and can make us both happy!
Yes! It is truly more blessed to give than to receive. We always think that means money or things, but works just the same for a smile and kind words!
Heather, I love your heart ❤️ Your words move me every single time I read them. Thanks for the encouragement and inspiration!
I love that His words move you, I’m just writing as He speaks. ❤️