Warm Wakeup on a Cold Morning
A Mist Opportunity
Water &Ice
Brrrrr
A few weeks back the morning started rather rough here on the ranch. But, I was in for a wonderful lesson in the process.
It was a very cold morning for early December in Missouri. About 13º F. at 6:00 a.m. While driving the girls down our lane to the bus, I noticed steam coming from the well house (a.k.a. the dilapidated little hut that houses our deep well). Though ugly on the outside, the hut hides within a crucial watering system that flows for both the humans and the animals on our ranch. I gave little thought to the steam; I knew that Brett kept a heat lamp in there when it got really cold. I just assumed that I was seeing the heat from the lamp.
After the girls got on the bus, I noticed some calves out of their pasture. Luckily I dressed for the short commute. Many mornings the girls either walk to the bus or I am jumping in the car in my p.j.’s! Pajamas or not, the calves needed herding back to where they belonged, where I noticed they had torn down the hot wire fence surrounding their pasture.
I set off to the house to get gloves and coveralls, at which time, I let Brett know about the fence being down. He went to turn off the electricity, so repairs could be made. That’s when he found it……water and ice everywhere! Something caused the well to burst, sending water spraying all inside the well house. Ice and water covered everything. Including the fencer that sends electricity to the hot wire. It became pretty obvious that the hot wire had turned frigid and served no longer as a barrier to curious calves. So, in the middle of Brett feeding all the animals, he had to stop to fix a well, and find a new electric fencer.
With his list elongated, that left me to fix the fence. Mending hot wire is not a particularly difficult task, but with it being about 18º at that point, I would have much rather been in my warm house. See, that is the thing. I am not much of a rancher. I much prefer to be clean and warm. I will take book work over cattle work any day. I will gladly saddle your horse and let you be the one to ride. I will happily cook a meal for 10 at the drop of a hat, if it means I don’t have to sweat my rear off loading calves. My feelings get hurt when harsh words are flung my way, so I am terrible help at the chute. But on this particular morning, I knew my husband needed help. I knew he still had many hours of chores left to do, before moving on to the other plans for the day. So, I loaded my five-gallon bucket of supplies and headed out.
While I was out mending the fence, it was so very still. There is something about a heavy frost or snow that quiets the country side. In that meager one hour of work, I soothed my soul in so many ways. I tend to talk too much. I also tend to fill every minute of my day with some task or mind-numbing Facebook scrolling. My mind races constantly. Staying busy keeps me sane, which also doesn’t give me much time to listen to what my heavenly Father has to say to me. I try to read my bible daily. Even 15 minutes in the Word can bring me peace. Then, I am off to check the next task off my list. I rarely sit and listen. A lot of nights I lay awake for hours. That is usually when my best prayer and listening happens. I guess the good Lord knows that is the only way to get me to listen.
On that cold morning, God got my attention in the daylight hours. I was able to notice the frost on the wild berries and the big, beautiful sun rising through the trees. I heard Him loud and clear. His message to me was that He has given each one of us a gift. A gift we are to share and use to glorify His kingdom. Brett jokes regularly that his gift is to feed the world. He is glad he wasn’t entrusted to be a Sunday School teacher! I have always struggled with what “gift” the Lord has blessed me with. But I see now, I am Brett’s helper. Neither he, nor Christ, expects me to rope cattle or chop ice on the pond. I am here to help raise our children. I am here to feed people, whether that is a hot meal in my home or helping sell the beef my husband raises. We all put so much pressure on ourselves to “be somebody” or to impress people. Really, all we are asked to do, is serve Him the best way we can.