the day life changed. {again}

3.28.13

Usually the day before branding is busy, but pretty uneventful.  Usually, but not always.  This year was one of the exceptions.

It was a bit overcast, but nice.

Nice because there was a bunch of help, a bunch of pairs, not much wind, no chance of rain, and a whole bunch of food.

The cattle were sorted, and pushed, and sorted some more.

Pretty routine, and pretty easy to do when your help is eager to work and handy on a horse.

Lunch time was entertaining and is a time of the day that I wish I could share with everyone - just so you all could experience the fun of listening, laughing, and story-telling at its finest right along with me.  I love having my kitchen table filled with friends - especially ones that work for food and could make a living just telling good stories!

The time of "rest" didn't last long though, and before I had the table cleared, everyone was back to work.

Work that required skill, patience, and all sorts of faith too.

Especially faith in the 4-legged friend that's helping these guys get the job done called their horse.

Once in awhile though, something out of the ordinary happens  ... and it's not always good.  Oh, how I wish it was always "good."

You see sometimes horses have a mind of their own.  They go the way the way they want to go before you even know what's happening.

And the cows take off, and the calves dart this way and that, and suddenly, in the one of the worst case scenarios, you find yourself on the ground.

I don't have a picture of Ian hitting the ground - shoulder first.  I'm kind of glad I don't.  I just have this one.  With a bit of Ian's arm showing as he's sitting near the water trough trying to wish the pain away.  It all happened so fast that there wasn't any time for pictures.  Slow motion is the only way I can describe it.  We all watched and cringed, and then held our breath waiting for him to stand up tall again.  And when he finally did, it was all he could do keep moving.

I knew it hurt.  We all did.  And then that's when our friends do what they've always done best ... took over, grabbed the horse, finished gathering, fed, and double checked all the gates ... all without us.

Mason watched quietly.
He was more worried about his dad than he'd ever been before.
I watched with an understanding that God was in complete control - even if I didn't understand it.
We left for the emergency room, our friends finished the work, and God changed the spring of 2013 for the better.

Harder.

More frustrating.

Painful.

Full of grace.

And in so many ways, better.

Better in God's world isn't usually easy ... and with every passing day I see how even in the {hard}, it's better.