‘Faith does not make things easy, it makes things possible’

By Julie Thompson, Special to the Tribune
Posted 3/16/23

At craft day at K Bar Z we all made signs. My sign says, “Faith does not make things easy, it makes things possible.”

Ain’t that the truth?!

Calving started today. It …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

‘Faith does not make things easy, it makes things possible’

Posted

At craft day at K Bar Z we all made signs. My sign says, “Faith does not make things easy, it makes things possible.”

Ain’t that the truth?!

Calving started today. It wasn’t the kind of birth anyone wants to start with. The calf presented not with front feet and a nose, and not even with back feet (breech). The first sign of this calf was … a tail.

Faith does not make things easy …

Maria and Steve had gotten there first. Before I could get there with the pulling chains, they had gotten the calf rearranged and delivered but it wasn’t breathing yet. Steve was doing chest compressions. Maria was taking a turn at mouth to nose resuscitation. The calf was refusing to live. They were refusing to let it die. The calf’s eyes rolled back. I handed Maria a needle to poke the calf’s nose to stimulate a deep breath, but we both had better luck pushing straw up her nostrils. The calf made minor gasps for air and her eyes came back to the front. She finally flopped her ears. Once.

Faith does not make things easy …

Chest compressions were stopped to see if the calf could breathe on her own. Her eyes rolled back again. Compressions were restarted. Maria continued rubbing the calf to stimulate it. Me … I talked to the calf, “Come on, baby! Come on!” and kept poking straw in her nose, praying that God’s will was not to leave the calf without a chance to run and play with her siblings in the Wyoming summer sun.

Faith does not make things easy …

Compressions were stopped again and the baby was finally taking slow and shallow breaths, but she was still not making conscious, willing movements. A limp body with just a dim little light in her eyes. We gathered her up in a sled and dragged her to the porch for drying, warming and nutrition.

Faith does not make things easy …

We cannot guarantee that this calf is going to make it. But she has a chance.

Faith makes things possible.

(Julie Thompson is a Powell farmer.)

Comments