The phone rang early this morning. Bob had already gone to the barn to catch Rosie and Rocky Top to saddle up and ride. I found Bob on the other end. He was worried about Rosie. She had laid down when he put the lead line on her to take her to the barn. I looked out the kitchen window and there he stood in the field and Rosie was laying down beside him. I saw her get up and walk with him toward the barn.
We knew something was wrong. Another call to the vet. My vet loves me. He is already thinking of which Ivy League college he will send his pre-school son to when he is out of high school. As long as I have horses, he will be financially well off. I am laughing and crying both.
The vet arrived within an hour. He examined her and said "Colic". This can strike fear in the heart of a horse owner. It can be anything from a farm call and some icky smelling medication to a surgery that would cost up to $7,000. Icky smelling medicine was the route we went. The vet kept saying "This may work." He also said I could bring her in to his facility and he could load her with fluids and work out the impaction that way as well. ($1100)
Of course, I was very worried. But I kept praying for God to intercede in her care. Now God has not given us a spirit of fear so I had faith that God would take care of Rosie just as he had last week when he took care of J R. As you may remember, J R was the horse that helped himself to the feed in the freezer. J R is doing well and took me on a good trail ride yesterday.
Dr Thompson left me with the suggestion that Rosie could use some fresh grass and offer her plenty of water. The impaction was probably caused from Rosie not drinking enough water because it has been so cold. So I spent most of today outside with Rosie. I walked her all over the field letting her graze at will. I tried to encourage her to drink more water by offering her warm water with sugar. She just put her nose in it and splashed a little. "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink"
About an hour after the vet left, Rosie presented me with a nice little pile of manure. It was my first signal that she was going to be alright. I kept walking her around and letting her graze. I was really cold after a while and I tied her in the barn and came to the house for a little while. I was soon back in the barn and found that she had once again left a little gift which Annie had already cleaned up and it was another good signal that things were getting back to normal.
More walking and later some more manure.
It is funny sometimes that the manure is our lives mean so much to us. I guess you want an explanation on that one. We all have manure in our lives. I know we can all agree to that. But as it was today, manure is not always a bad thing. If things always go smooth, if the water is always calm, if the sky is always blue, would we appreciate it that our lives are going smooth. No it would just be another day of sunshine. We wouldn't appreciate the smooth water or the blue skies.
We don't really learn lessons when things are going well. But when the fires get hot, we are being purified. Gold is purified with heat. Steel is tempered when a fire is put under it. We don't know what God will do for us without the storms in our lives. Our faith in God does not grow when everything goes smooth. When things are really going good, we go on auto pilot and have the attitude, "OK God, I can take it from here". No it is through the trials and hard times that our faith grows and develops. We grow and learn more about God when hard times hit.
Do you remember the scripture in Acts chapter 8 that documents the story of Stephen? As you remember, Stephen was the first Christian to die for his faith. Things were going along pretty well in Jerusalem. The apostles were preaching and people were being filled with the Holy Spirit. People were being saved and baptized. Then along came some persecution. Why did that have to happen when everything in Jerusalem was going so good?
God had a plan. I don't believe that God wanted that to happen but He let it happen. And He used that event to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. If Stephen hadn't been stoned, the apostles would not have scattered. Phillip wouldn't have gone to Samaria and people would have not been saved there. They would not have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of the stoning of Stephen, Christians took the good news outside of Jerusalem.
What they were experiencing was a lot of manure in their lives. I don't think that is the way any preacher would express it but it fits with my thesis for today. Would I have had so much gratitude in my heart for God tonight? I would have been grateful for a good day but I have learned that God cares about the affairs of man. And the affairs of a woman who is trying to walk in His will and follow His guidance. I know I can't make this operation a success without God's leadership and without His giving me the wisdom to make hard decisions.
May you always turn to God to give you wisdom in all your decisions.
And may God bless you and keep you in His loving care.
Regards,
Mary
For I know all things work together for those who love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8: 28
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