Mahogany

                 As I prepare to publish this week's blog post, I think my father would probably say Mahogany has cow sense. He would likely think I attribute too much to her thinking capability. He would be right, I know. Yet I think observing animals in nature can teach us much and open our eyes to God's workings in our lives.

                After feeding pellets to the herd and filling the stock tank, my next task was checking the melting ice on the big pond. I had been trying to count the calves in our 2022 calf crop. After a couple of tries, I kept coming up one calf short.

                When climbing into the pickup, I heard the bawling of a baby calf. Sure enough, as I glanced north, I spotted the little bull calf belonging to Lady Jane Grey*. Wouldn’t you know, the little bull with the darling face followed the truck toward the pond instead of going back to the herd. Of course, as he observed me swing the truck around and head back, he wheeled around and ran like the wind ahead of me. He couldn’t find the gate opening to rejoin the herd, so hopping out of the truck, I guided the cute little bull to the gate.

Lady Jane Grey's little wayward
calf when I spotted him.

                 As I watched the little bull meander toward the herd feeding at the bale ring, he continued to bawl as a calf does for its mama cow. Then Mahogany, an eight-year-old cow, who probably serves as a bell cow, interjected herself into this situation. (My father used the term “bell cow” to mean “leader.” It stemmed from a past era when the lead or dominant cow wore a bell for easier locating.)

                Mahogany, the dark red cow, made her way in a deliberate manner toward Lady Jane Grey’s calf. Mahogany’s determined action was accompanied by loud mooing. Her own well-behaved little calf tagged along. Soon she had redirected the errant calf and Mahogany returned to her spot at the bale ring. 

                As I stood pondering what I had observed from Mahogany, I had never seen behavior like hers from other cows, but she seemed to understand the little calf wasn’t where he belonged. She couldn’t eat in peace until she had gone after the little one even though he wasn’t her calf.

I began thinking of our local church or any group of Jesus followers. I have mentioned to parents the importance of a church congregation who cares, loves, and wants the best for their children. Yet every member of a church family – no matter the age - shares a responsibility to encourage and enrich all members of that cherished body. The writer of Hebrews in chapter 10, verses 24-25 wrote succinctly:

In response to all He has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good. Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.

Mahogany during early January 2022

                May Mahogany, the strong, dark red cow, serve as a reminder to never let people “fall through the cracks” or “fade from the fellowship.” Jesus warned sternly in Mark 9:42, “These little ones believe in Me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.” Whether we apply this passage to children or to people who are young in the Lord, if we believe Jesus’ words, we must pursue building them up with His words from scripture. We have a mandate to strengthen with our actions and uplift in prayer the children and the new believers in our families and churches.

*Note: I name cows only for record keeping purposes. Coupled with photography, it works since we have a small herd.