Grief and Gratitude

Today is another beautiful day in paradise.  The sun is shining and it is bright against the snow.

All is peaceful; the guardian dogs are quietly laying amongst the sheep and goats.  Then, I hear the sound of a tractor coming down the drive.  One of my neighbours has stopped by in his John Deere.  I have previously learned that in Farmington, one should always be dressed  appropriately to do your morning chores, as you never know when someone should just pop by for a chat...I cheerfully greeted my neighbour and anticipated some interesting community news.  However, his face told me that he came for another reason: he told me that he had come to give me bad news.  My first thought was that a neighbour had fallen sick or had been hurt on the farm.  No, it was more personal than that...was it my son working on a gas site?  Or my husband in a highway accident?  Finally, he told me that we had a dead horse in the field.  It didn't register, because only 15 minutes ago, I had seen our horse herd travelling the pasture fence line.  He told me that the horse was laying dead next to the feeder. We have not been spared the tragedy of losing a horse (and the bigger the animal the bigger the heart break!).  My heart skipped a beat.  As I looked out onto our field, I could see that the horses had moved back to the hay and the feeders...I booked it across the field to see who was laying at the feeder.  I could see a chestnut down with stiff legs off the ground....Ace!  All I could think about was how was I going to tell my youngest daughter that her little prized boy was dead? I called to him, but he laid still..no movement.   As I touched him warm in the sun, he stirred.  He was alive!  I burst into grateful tears. Thank the Lord for his mercy and grace!  Then laughter filled my heart.  It has happened before that we have mistaken sleeping horses for illness.  Ace had been laying on a mound of hay that propped his legs up...it truly looked like rigor had set in.  It was so funny, I wish I could have taken a picture of it.  But once he was stirred, he was up.

My neighbour was sorry that he had scared me...and I am grateful that he thought enough to take time to pull up with his tractor (to move the dead body?) and bring me the bad news.  I am grateful that I was spared having to tell my daughter bad news today.  I am grateful that our animals are alive and well.  I am grateful that I am alive and well.  I won't be one of the 10 lepers who forget to be thankful and worship Him who gave them a new life. (Luke 17:11-19). When one considers all the grief and sad things that happen in a life time; we can be all the more grateful for all the good things that we have the privilege to experience.
And here I am grateful.

"Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ." ! Thess 5:18