Weak and Vulnerable

Marie with her new bull calf

Marie, one of the longhorn cows, had a beautiful bull calf on the 1st day of June.  Lately we've been getting one red calf after another so to see a white and red baby is like a special gift!

I still consider myself a newcomer to the bovine world even though I've been a part of it for several months now.  These creatures continue to teach me not only about themselves and their kind but also about our Lord and my walk with Him.

On day 2 of the beautiful calf's life, the herd was grazing at the front of the pasture behind the barn while the newest herd member lie curled by the fence in the sunshine.  I watched, mesmerized by them...they fascinate me!  Then in broad daylight, a coyote trotted across the back pasture and out of my view.  I told Cowboy of the situation and he said that we should just keep an occasional eye out and that the herd knows naturally what to do in such cases.  

As they usually do, the longhorns finished grazing, drank deeply from the water troughs and headed single-file to the back pasture leaving the baby to sleep where he was.  Once they had all reached the back pasture, they turned in unison and RAN back up to the front pasture to guard their vulnerable member.  They had apparently caught the scent of the dangerous coyote.

As the scene unfolded, I was caught up in the further admiration of our heavenly Father who created these animals to do just what they did.   They all were aware of their sleeping, unprotected one and of the danger lurking.  They all ran to protect him.  

Are people wired that way, too?  Do we have an instinct that makes us run to protect our weakest?  Shouldn't we be on the lookout for danger?  Shouldn't we be mindful of our vulnerable members?  The fact that these questions all came to me shows me that I have not seen this demonstrated very often in people....in immediate families, perhaps...but not so much in other "herds" of people.  I'm guilty, too, of being so self-focused as to fail to notice who's weak and in danger.

These questions have prompted this prayer:

Lord, make me mindful of the vulnerability of others.  Give me a heart to protect them.  Make me aware of the dangers lurking.  Encourage my heart that others are looking out for me, too.