The mule

Here is something I wrote for my mother-in-law, for a church lesson she was giving on how the Lord has blessed us in little ways that have affected our lives.

Without diving into the complexities of my life this past year and drawing more attention to my family than we already have, let me share a experience with you that happened a few years ago that I often reflect upon. I was high in the Sawtooth mountains, hunting with my brothers and friends. We had killed a few deer that day and a bear, had walked to the bottom of the mountains and to the top again. We were worn out, happy, but tired. I had two small mules with me that carried the meat, and I had a back pack on and a gun over my shoulder. We had a four mile hike back to camp, not a gentle walk, but a up and down and all around kind of hike. It was getting late in the day and the sun hung just above the peaks of the surrounding mountains. I started hiking back, trudging up the first hill. My legs hurt and my shoulders ached. As I reached that first peak, I had a sudden burst of energy. I started hiking faster than I had all day and I did not need to stop and rest. Those poor little mules had a hard time keeping up with me. I was able to climb and hike without pausing, something I normally would be unable to do, especially after the day we had just had. I felt an urgency to get back to camp. I covered a lot of ground quickly and was walking into camp when I heard a wheezing and gasping for air. I came around the trees into camp and saw that another mule that I had left in camp had twisted and turned until its lead rope was wrapped around its neck so tight that it was lying on the ground with is head up in the air from the tight rope, taking its last gasp of air. I dropped the lead rope from my other mules, and ran down hill, pulled out a knife and quickly cut the lead rope away from the tree. With the pressure off it's neck, the mule laid there for a minute, breathing deep breaths and trying to regain its strength. It stood up for a few minutes and was fine the rest of the trip.

The reason this experience has caused me such great reflection over the years, is that I am amazed that the Lord was concerned about a mule. I had strength and stamina that I should not have, so that I could get back to camp fast enough to save the life of a mule. For what reasons, I don't know. Maybe it was for the ease of getting out of the mountains the next day, or maybe it was because my kids have spent many hours on its back over the years since. That mule is currently out in my field right now, she is the most gently of creatures and is celestial in nature. Or maybe it was because God knew that one day I was going to be in the struggle of my life trying to keep my life together and I was going to need to reflect back on this experience to give me strength. If Heavenly Father cared so much about a mule, how much more does He care for me? If He would send me rushing to save a mule, how many people would He send to rescue me and mine. It is many, God has shown His love for me in the most amazing and simplest of ways, and for that I will be eternally grateful.