written by Erika DuVal,  young mother and Tulelake cattle rancher 4/7/13

I had an object lesson sort of an evening. We got home from town and church and upon entering the driveway I immediately knew something was up with the cows. I went out and found one of the cows was missing a calf. This morning I had seen a coyote near the herd so the searching for him took on an extra level of urgency. I searched high and low, near and far, and even through the neighbor’s herd in search of him. After two hours of searching I found him not too far away in another neighbor's field. It made me think about Luke 15 when Jesus talked about a shepherd who left his 99 sheep to go and look for the one that was lost. That parable took on a whole new meaning tonight as I was out in the cold wind looking for a lost calf and was determined to look until dark if need be. Just like I searched for the calf tirelessly, He searches for us. I found a hole in the fence where the calf had gotten through and before I came in for the night I got the necessary tools and materials to patch the fence. Just like when Jesus finds us he works to fix those broken places in our lives that cause us to wander. The cow was very relieved to have her baby back and the baby welcomed the chance to nurse. I was also reminded how when we return to Jesus He is all we need, just as the cow protects and provides for her calf, He protects us and provides for us.

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