In the 20° F. weather, I got thoroughly chilled.

We moved four older calves today.  They traveled from the calf yard to the big barnyard.  We took three weaned calves to another shed.

The calves have lived in separate calf pens since they were a day or  two old.  From bottle-feeding, they advanced to drinking from a pail.  Rations ranged from warm, whole milk to half and half, a tepid half water and half milk mixture.   At the proper age, they learned to drink cold water and to thrive on hay and grain.  All of that happened in the confines of the small individual pens they knew as home.

These weaned calves experienced a big life-change today.  They stepped into a little wagon we use for transporting calves.   The tractor pulled the wagon to their new quarters with their own private yard and shelter.

As we unloaded them, they felt the freedom of unconfined movement.  Kicking

up their hind legs, they skipped around the calf yard and barreled into their new calf shed.  One calf kicked around in the shed and onto the slightly frozen yard.  As he did, he slid all the way across the yard to the manger.  I enjoyed watching their antics at their first feelings of freedom.  All too soon the novelty will wear off.  They will learn to complain even in this new setting.

I wonder if we people tend to be like them, that is, enjoying the new changes of life and, with time, forgetting the blessing they are.  It is reminiscent of the anticipation of Christmas and the gifts of the season that give us delight.  As we become accustomed to them and the newness wears off, and we find reasons to complain.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a super-change in life or super-gift that did not grow old?

We can have just that.  It comes through a relationship with God through knowing Jesus Christ.  The Bible says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.” I Peter 1:3, 4(NIV)