Although I included Della's photo in last week's article, I made mention of only having trained four milkers. Della only arrived last Thursday, so in this photo she was quite new to the place, and milking was a completely foreign concept!
It usually takes the new girls three days to a week to catch on to the idea. In my younger days, I could jump up on the stanchion and have them follow me, but that just doesn't work any more, so I have to coax them up and usually lift their front leg. The details aren't necessary, but suffice it to say, the training period can be trying for both the goat and myself.
Since I'd milked her out at the time of the sale, before moving her, Friday was our first trip to the milking parlor . . . My, that was an experience! It was such an experience, I decided to try that on Shabbat would be work. After training four last month, I really was reconsidering this girl all together. She was wild! My balance is not the best in the world, and a 140 pound goat can give me a run for my money, but I couldn't chance her suddenly drying up and possibly damaging her udder, so . . . I couldn't just quit. Sunday is a big day in the office with publishing, and all the goats were goofy, but she and I managed to make it to the milking parlor and come out in one piece with some milk in the bucket . . . Monday, I was still considering an alternative plan for this girl . . . She wasn't taking any longer than any other goat, to train, so I had to evaluate my reasoning. That was when I received an alternative plan for me.
Training milk goats is a talent I've been given by my Heavenly Father, and I certainly didn't want to bury that talent . . . So Tuesday, I said the prayer of Abraham's servant when he went to get a wife for Isaac.
"O ADONAI Elohim, of my master Abraham, please give me success this day . . . Genesis 24:12
It was amazing. She came right to the bucket of grain. No hassle putting on the lead. Walked hesitantly to the milking parlor, as the other goats were gathered to be nosy . . . She walked right into that milking parlor and jumped up on the stanchion. She began munching her grain and stood nearly motionless while I milked a full bucket. It's been smooth sailing with her, since! HalleluYah!
I don't throw that prayer around lightly, nor do I speak it over everything. Some days I ask Him to bless the work of my hand . . . I take the Word of YHWH very seriously and very literally. Different passages just spring to life for various endeavors, but I do know His Word does not return void!
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto
me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing whereto I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
No comments:
Post a Comment