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Jan 25, 2012
“What are you doing?”

“I’m on a quest.”

“What’s a quest?”

“It means I’m searching for something important.”

Milly looked around the barn’s dim interior. Feeble sunlight funneled through cracks and painted random patterns on the dark walls. She cocked her head and focused on Dance who continued to paw through the deep bedding.

“What can you find in the straw that’s important?”

“The right place.”

Milly perked her ears and moved closer but the older ewe walked away and began the pawing in a new spot. Poking her nose in the straw, Milly sniffed and shook her head. It was just bedding, the same as it had been for the past month since the shepherd shut the barn door against the howling winds and blowing snow. She lifted a hind hoof and scratched behind her ear.

“You look troubled.”

“I don’t understand, Mama. Dance says she’s on a quest but she’s just digging in the straw.”

Mingle nodded and stood shoulder to shoulder with her yearling daughter.

“She is. Her time draws near.”

“Her time for what?”

“Her time to give birth.”

“Why can’t she give birth anywhere? The barn is big, there is plenty of room.”

“She searches for a place where the cold drafts don’t reach, a place where the bedding is deep and soft, a place that smells welcoming to her newborns.”

“How will she know the right place?”

“She will know it when she finds it. Some things are hard to explain. When that happens we must rely on what we know inside. Next year, when your time comes, you will know too.”

“How will I know?”

“The Creator of the universe gave you what you need to be who you are. The quests you must make in this life have answers. Trust that He will guide you to what you need when you need it.”

Milly watched as Dance shook herself and bent her knees, folding down onto the straw with a sigh. She tipped her head back and burped up a cud of hay to chew, her eyes half closed, ears relaxed.

“When you’re in the right place, doing the right thing, you will have that level of contentment as well.” Mingle looked at Milly and nodded. “Time spent searching is worth the reward of finding the right answer.”


This post is part of Christian Writers’ January Blog Chain on the topic, “Quest.” Check out the other Quest posts by clicking the links at right.

10 comments:

From Carols Quill said...

What a brilliant way to share Dance's quest with us. And a perfect photo, too.

I love the idea of contentment when you're in the right place, doing the right thing. Well said.

Pegg Thomas said...

Yeah, it's amazing the stories I hear when I hang around my sheep. They're always teaching me something!

Jack Brown said...

enjoyed your chain gang contribution.
sheep are special but then all Gods' creation is.
biiiig hug to ewe

Adam Collings said...

Good story. It's nice to be getting a little fiction in the chain, since it is actually a writer's chain :)

Good lesson seen from an animal perspective.

Deborah K. Anderson said...

I loved the take you took on this topic! Great story.

Keith Wallis said...

A really lovely take on the topic.

'When you’re in the right place, doing the right thing, you will have that level of contentment as well.' Oh I wish that were ALWAYS so. It's on the rare occasion that I get things right that I am itchy rather than content !

Bill Jones said...

Very creative and an excellent post. Thanks for the image of the sheep looking for the right spot.

Pegg Thomas said...

Perhaps you need to take a lesson from the sheep. ;)

Pegg Thomas said...

I'm glad you all enjoyed the sheepish take on "quest"!

Unknown said...

Thank you Pegg-what a great story. What gets me is the animals know what to do and where to go- but if we didn't have someone tell us- we'd be in big trouble. What a blessing from the barnyard- Keep up the good work.