Pressing Days of Autumn

The last days of autumn are filled with pressing chores to do and not enough time. But this one day with just enough sun to make me feel hopeful, I go for a walk by the stream. Sitting down, I watch kitty run up a tree until she can run no further with no way to return. I am tempted to help her but instead, I just sit and watch her as she decides what to do.

Hank ventures out into the stream...deeper and deeper. I am tempted to call him back but if I do, he will miss the leaf that is floating quickly by and will soon be out of reach. When he has touched it, he turns and swims back to shore. And I sit and wait and watch for it all to happen.

Several times a day, I go to the barn to feed my sheep, Tristan, who hurt his mouth mysteriously. After visiting the university animal clinic, he only eats and drinks very poorly . Each day, I continue to place hay and water in his mouth. As I do so, I stand and watch all the sheep eat with their mouths. It is a mystery to me how they so adeptly fill their mouths with hay, and with barely any time to move the hay to the back of their mouths, they begin again grabbing another mouthful; while the hay in Tristan's mouth moves slowly and he chews and chews and chews. He gives his head a shake as if to try to move the hay further back.

As the sheep move out of the barn, Tristan and I are still standing together; him-waiting for me to patiently and skilfully place more hay into his mouth.

Lengthy visits to the barn...I am not sure how long I can do this...but God says...time to watch and listen. And that is the way with God.  When there is something he wants you to know...He just does.

Tristan on a happier and sunnier day in his life....