Yesterday was another first for the Selmon ranch. We got our first lamb! "Franny" is a six-month old male lamb. He was given to us by a woman from a local store who purchased him at less than a week old, bottle fed him in their basement for two months, and now had this growing brute out in a small pen with her chickens. He is a cute little bugger.
Franny, who we will name Dirty Harry, comes to us as an answer to prayer. About a month ago we were out at a local fair. My children just loved the sheep. They asked several different times if we could get some sheep. Furthermore, my two year old loves the show on Netflix called Shawn the Sheep, which details the adventures of a flock of sheep, led by scrawny but smart lamb named Shawn, in their barnyard. I say my two year old loves it, but so does the whole family. I told them we should pray about finding some sheep since we have the room. I was also looking forward to having sheep so I could learn first-hand some of the biblical analogies concerning sheep.
Well, last week this woman I know from the local store approaches me to ask if I will take her young lamb. They are moving and he has outgrown their chick coop. I said I we would be happy to take him. I knew about this addition for a week, but all I told the kids was I had a surprise for them on Tuesday.
Yesterday, the boys and I made a pen for Harry. I told them what was happening and with great excitement they helped get the electric fence run. I chose electric because a worker at the local Tractor Supply store told me he had sheep and that electric fencing is the way to go if you only have one or two. It is also the cheapest way to fence anything since I have all the components already.
I just wish we had told this to Harry.
After the fence was run, the boys and I took our new/old horse trailer down to pick up Franny. With his owners, Franny comes when called, almost like a dog. He loves to be pet and will bound over to see new people. So far so good! His owner opened the door to the pen, called him, and he walked over and went up and on our trailer with only a slight push and the leading of some sweet feed. We closed the back gate, they said their farewells, and we were ready to go.
It was an eleven mile trip back to our place with the lamb. Something happened to the poor critter in those eleven miles! By the time we got here, he was making funny noises and moving all around the trailer. My boys got in their with him and pet him. He loved it, but he did not calm down. My youngest was thrilled to have a lamb. We drove out to the pen, took off the electrified gate, backed the trailer in, and we were ready to let Franny out. Slowly the heavy back door came down. Out came Dirty Harry.
The first thing the lamb did was attempt to go out between the trailer and the fence. He touched the fence, was shocked, and he started running in the pen. We called him. He looked at us, went back up to the fence and was shocked again. Now in a complete panic, he bolted through out closely woven fence into our field. Not good.
First biblical lesson learned from Dirty Harry: scared sheep will not obey anyone. They run around on their own, and they will not respond to even gentle and loving leading. A gentle voice, the offer of good food and nourishment, calling their name, nothing will work. Why? Because they run away and will not get close to anyone! Poor Harry had a wild and scared look in his eyes that betrayed a heart and soul in turmoil!
After about forty-five minutes to an hour, Harry finally calmed down a bit. He noticed all the hay we had in the pen and the temporary shelter that was build. Finally, he would finally approach us, though at first he was tentative and ready to bolt if you held out your hand. Slowly, he regained trust in us and let us stroke his head. He ate some of the grain we had in a bucket for him. Then suddenly, he ran right into his pen.
By this time it was almost dark, and I was late for a bible study at church. We prayed he would survive the night and not escape. The good news is that he is still in his pen this morning! Please pray that Harry continues to adjust well.
"I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant, for I do not forget Thy commandments." Ps 119: 176.
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