An Effort Unrewarded? Maybe Not!

My story begins on a Saturday morning as I was delivering 4 bales of hay to my 2 donkeys, 2 llamas, and 2 goats. I drove my pickup down to the gate and unloaded the hay only to see the horrifying sight that was to occupy my attention for the next several hours. The bigger of the 2 llamas had barbed wire wrapped around her stomach and her legs.

I quickly grabbed my wire cutters that I keep close for those times a goat gets stuck in the fence near a post and requires some cutting to get free, and reached out for the llama, grabbing the barbed wire and hoping to get a chance to snip some of it. Unfortunately, my quick reaction caused her to jump and bolt away. I chased her to no avail and realized I needed some rope, bigger wire cutters, and some help.

I jumped in the pickup, called my oldest son to come help, and headed to my 2nd feed and agriculture store for the day. I purchased bigger bolt cutters, some rope, and some sweet feed that I hoped would be enticing for the llama. As I drove, I wondered why the llama didn't know that I was simply trying to help, not hurt. I also found myself swearing at the fence builders for leaving loose strands of barbed wire lying around.

Upon my return, my son and I chased the llama around the field, no easy task considering the amount of cactus and mesquite that pervades our "ranch," trying to get a rope around her neck so that we could keep her still long enough to remove the barbed wire. But our efforts were in vain. He did point out that she didn't seem to be in pain. I wondered about that, however, since my experience with animals has been that their faces do not seem to register emotions. This has actually bothered me for several years and I would like to analyze this fact at some point. Nevertheless, whether she was in pain or not, I felt oddly responsible to at least remove the barbed wire from around her body.

I knew I needed some panels, so I made my 3rd trip to town to yet another store to purchase some corral panels needed to "capture" my elusive friend. I bought two panels thinking I could use the current gate as one of the ends of my little make shift corral. My thoughts on this 3rd trip were more utilitarian and less philosophical as I envisioned capturing the llama and fixing the problem. Arriving back home, I lifted the panels out of the pickup and placed them in position only to recognize my plan was not going to work without another panel. 

On the way to town to buy another panel, I reflected on how I was making my 4th trip for the day to help the animals. For not the 100th time, I wondered about my competence in raising farm animals especially considering the time and money spent for little to no gain. Yet, I knew without a doubt that I would not quit this particular objective to rid that poor animal of the chains that enslaved her through no fault of her own. As I made that commitment, I also began to reflect on how many times we are enslaved by bonds that do not allow us to reach our full potential as people. We are often restricted by a multitude of sources both immediate and far-reaching. In fact, it is of supreme value to operate within the confines that surround you but to be successful in spite of and maybe because of those very barriers. Such is life!

I returned to the "ranch" and set up the 3rd panel, got the family out to help me, and anxiously awaited the moment when the llama would walk into my ingenious structure, and I would then fix this problem. But she remained outside the walls and all our efforts at encouragement only resulted in her moving away from us. My frustration at this problem was reaching epic proportions and I wondered how my blood pressure was going to handle this when I glanced near the llama and saw something on the ground. I walked over to it only to find the entire strand of barbed wire had unwrapped itself and fallen off!

The goal, to remove the barbed wire, was met, but my efforts had not contributed to the goal. 4 trips to town, lots of money, lots of stress, concern, fear, anger, and frustration had all amounted to nothing. Yet the goal had been met. I think there is a lesson in here somewhere but I don't know where. Do you?

If you know the lesson, please share it with me!