‘Coley, one of the cows is lying down in the field and it appears to be in a lot of distress. Go down and look after it until the vet arrives’ whispered the night watchman as he shined a torch light on my face.
4.30 AM I got dressed into a blue striped shirt, jeans, woolly jumper, overcoat and a pair of black boots. I tiptoed out of the dormitory, went down stairs into the main hall of the grange, walked through the kitchen and made my way outside. It was dark, cold and wet.
Scurrying up the lane to the farm I opened a wooden gate and trudged into the meadow. There I saw a cow sprawled out in the pasture. The animal lay on the sodden grass wreathing in pain. I had a sore throat and it was raining heavily. I felt sorry for the cow. In an act of compassion, I crouched on my knees and placed my left hand under its head. I stroked the cow’s face and spoke to it as though it were a child.
‘don’t worry it’s all right, you’ll be okay’ I muttered shivering cold.
I was only 15 years of age and I promised the cow that it would live as long as me and produce gallons more milk in its lifetime. After an aching 45 minutes in the field I was delighted to see a car approach the wire fence at the top of the road. The vehicle’s headlights beamed with encouragement. However, it didn’t stop. It wasn’t the vet but some early riser going about their business. The car passed, and we endured another excruciating hour. Eventually, the vet arrived.
Sidling out of his car he joined us in the gloomy meadow. After stretching a pair of rubber gloves on each hand he started the examination. Within minutes the vet diagnosed the illness. Taking a syringe out of a black case he injected the cow as it lay helpless in the grass. Much to my surprise the cow stood to its legs and walked off to join the rest of the herd nearby. Pain free now the animal seemed as though it hadn’t suffered at all. The vet explained to me that the cow’s sickness was wind related. The condition was painful but treatable.
After a job well done I strolled back to the Grange and tucked into my breakfast.
Looking back, I see some devotional parallels with my farm experience and Christian ministry today.
The night watchman woke me out of my sleep.
2. My farm work was done in a gloomy unlit field.
The night watchman shined his torch on my face.
5. I supervised a flock.
Pastors care for people in the church, John 21.17.
Pastors, elders, deacons, house group leaders, youth workers, chaplains, music directors, departmental heads and all church workers today are the shepherds of hope predicted by Jeremiah.