Practical and Prayerful

Now that breeding season has ended and "the girls" are due in about a month and a half, my Buddy Buck started showing out.  Sadly, that is usually the case with herd sires.  It seems they start getting ornery between 2 and 2 1/2 years old.  As I mentioned last week in Peculiar Princess, Buddy Buck was moved to the naughty pen and the reason was truly troubling.  He stayed very cordial to me, but I could simply no longer trust him with the does.  He was downright obnoxious at feeding time, which can be overlooked to a point, but something else caught my eye.  When I was in the pasture, he wanted my sole undivided attention and could literally hook the does front leg between his horns immediately rendering them helpless and unable to move.  He is strong and it became clear that a broken leg could result.

For Buddy Buck and I, it was love at first sight, but . . . the girls depend upon me for their provision and safety, and I depend on them!  After a few days in the naughty pen, it became sadly obvious that Buddy had matured to the ornery "old goat stage."  So Buddy became officially auction bound.  Here's where it gets interesting.  Abba had told me to prepare practically, and I have, but getting Buddy loaded was going to take more than my practicality.  This goat weighs in at about 150 pounds and he was going be loaded in a pen in the back of my Chevy Uplander.  The reality is simple.  "Man handling" him into the vehicle was not possible and lifting him was out of the question.  He was going to have to want to get in.  So I prayed . . .  Psalm 29 gives a clear description that nature is absolutely controlled by our Creator, so He can cause an ornery goat to want to go for a ride.

Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, I prayed for a plan.  I was given a glimpse that there would be a moment of opportunity, but only a moment.  Once a goat gets wise that something is going on, they get quite uncooperative, so I had to make every move count without tipping him off.  The basics of practicality were not problem.  I knew to have everything in place before even dealing with the "loadee."  He has a favorite hay that he can smell from anywhere on the place, so I put some in the travel pen to entice him, before opening the gate where he was.  

Buddy was leary and a bit cagey so I kept my cool and didn't make any sudden moves.  He could clearly see that something was up.  He nibbled at the hay, then backed away.  I tried to get a lead on him, but he was having no part of that, so I laid back again and waited for his craving to get the best of him.   His horn span was about as wide as my shoulders, as well as the opening of the pen, so there was no room for error.  The third time he moved toward the pen, he got serious about the hay, raising his front legs up into the vehicle for better access.  With that boost, he then put his head through the opening and I saw my moment of opportunity.  With a quick silent prayer of "thank you" I grabbed hold of his cape and guided him right on in.  He was literally in the pen in the blink of an eye, and I had the gate closed within a matter of seconds.  

Then the prayers of thanksgiving got loud!

I can do all things through Messiah which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:13