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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Life and death on our little piece of paradise

We had a very trying Sunday around here......


I will preface with, we spent a lot of Saturday night preparing food for Sunday, as we were going home to church for potluck. Our church back home has potluck the first Sunday of every month and we haven't been since March and I was really needing the encouragement. I have missed our home church soooo much.

So when we woke up Sunday morning, needless to say we were on a TIGHT schedule. Well, everything was going along well until youngest daughter, Lindsey, went out to put her rabbit in his daytime pen and feed the chickens. Well, she went down to the chicken coop and she saw 2 dead chickens in the pen. She ran in hysterical. My honey went down there to find that there were 2 chickens ripped to shreds on the ground. I will tell you a little about our chicken set up. We have a pretty large chicken yard. Our coop is a large rectangle box that sits about 3 feet off the ground on posts. The coop has doors on it that can close the chickens in at night. However, we had not been doing this, as we had not had any problems and probably out of pure laziness. Well, Saturday night some predator dug under our fencing and climbed 3 feet to get in our coop and got some of our chickens off their roost. We are thinking it was a fox. We're not sure. We lost 7 chickens and 3 guineas. It was a devastating loss, especially for Lindsey, as these are her project.


On top of all this commotion, we went on to church and had a great day of like minded fellowship. I sooo needed it!! We got home around 5 ish and went down to the coop to see if all was ok. I looked over to the rabbit cage and did not see a rabbit. I wanted to be sick. It seems that in all the uproar of the chickens my Lindsey forgot to latch the pen. I can not tell you how upset she was. We were scouring the yard, the pasture, and the barn with no luck. I came in the house and just begged God to let them find Lindsey's rabbit. My husband finally came in and said he was going next door to borrow a post pounder to work on the chicken yard. I told him I would ride with him. A little ways up the road, I looked out in the neighboring pasture and saw 2 little white ears. I screamed for hubby to stop. He stopped in the middle of the road and jumped out to run across the pasture to get the rabbit. He screamed back up at the house for the kids to come get him. They did and all was well.

I praise God that He hears our most nonessential, ridiculous prayers and that He cares about the broken heart of a little girl. He is an amazing God and I praise Him in the devastation of death and the rejoicing of Life.

I am not getting a lot of great decorating done, as we are getting ready to start back to school. I am trying to get organized!!!

Have a great day!

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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

just found your blog with your "easy bake kitchen" post and could SO relate. Im so glad you found your bunny!!! God does hear and care. I had no idea you lived out in the country. I like the idea of the country but want to still be within 10 mins to grocery stores, kohls, ross, etc..lol...I dont want much, do I?.. Totally enjoy your blog!!!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your loss... We have known our share in the past few weeks... Cant wait to see your kitchen when your done! Susie h~

Shannon said...

I am so sorry about your chicken loss!! That is so sad for you but especially for your little girl. :(

Thank you for your sweet sweet comments on my blog today. It really meant a lot!

Empty Nest Full Life said...

So sorry about the chickens but I am so glad you found the rabbit. God is good and hears our every cry.

Heathahlee said...

I know your little girl was heartbroken over the birds...we had something similar happen to us. But I'm so glad all is well with the bunny! Yes, the Lord is very sweet to us and hears our most "insignificant" prayers. None of them are insignificant to His Father heart!

Charm and Grace said...

So sorry about your chickens. I appreciate that you took time to praise God for His blessings of finding Mr. Bunny in the midst of all the loss and for the sweet fellowship at church. I hope you will have a blessed week.

:-) Christi

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

Hey, Trixi, thank you for stopping by to see me. I'm so glad you found that bunny! I love those cute little things.

Rhoda

Picket said...

Oh girl I am so sorry about your chickens but I am rejoicing with you about your little girl's rabbit...God cares about everything in our lives from our power bill to our deepest hurts...I can so relate to the pet story..I had a silver poodle once that followed me everywhere and would even lay on the small of my back when I would lay down on the floor sometimes to pray...she was the humblest little thing...not a yappy hyper little dog...I let her out to go to the bathroom one morning and someone stole her right out of the yard...a neighbor said they say a strange car with 3 men in it pull up and grab her...I looked for her for days...I cried my heart was so broken..Then I begin to pray..I told God that I knew He knew right where she was and I ask him to someway somehow let her get loose and find her way back to me...I was standing in the kitchen a few days later and i thought I heard something...every hair on my body raised..I ran outside...I heard it again..way off in the distance...my heart begin to pound so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest...I ran around to the back of the house and looked across a huge field that seperated the subdivision from some apartments..there running & barking with every fiber of her little being was my precious Littlr Burna...as she leaped into my arms I stood there crying and shouting to the high heavens thanking God for his love & mercy...yes God does care about everything that affects us!

The Berry's Patch said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your chickens. Darn fox! Glad to hear that you found Lindsey's rabbit though.

Nicole said...

I'm so sorry about loosing your animals. You poor daughter, I'm glad you found the bunny, Heavenly Father definitely knows what we can handle and doesn't give us more than that.

Anonymous said...

Nice to meet you Trixi, thanks for comming by today, love your blog, there is never anything to big, to hard, to small or too silly for God when it comes to answering prayer,years ago when my kids were little we had a hampster get out of his cage, didn't see him for weeks, the girls & I were sitting in the floor wrapping presents when my daughter started talking about him & told me how she prayed & prayed for her hampster then out of nowhere he comes out & crawls up in my lap, yes GOd is good!

The Beauty Bargainista said...

I am so glad you found the Rabbit! Isnt God amazing like that? I know sometimes we think He isnt listening or doesnt care because our prayers are "insignificant", but He is a mighty God with a tender heart! :) Bless your poor daughter for her loss, I know that must have been heartbreaking!

Rue said...

Hi Trixi :)

I'm so sorry to hear about the animals your family lost. How horrible that your daughter had to see it. I'm glad you found the bunny though :)

rue

Mary said...

So glad you found the rabbit...and sorry about the chickens....

angela | the painted house said...

Poor girl and chickens! You know, I am moved more by God's hand in the little things than the big things. To know that he cares about the miniscule in our lives really shows that he is a caring Father who loves us like we love our own children. I'm so happy that bunny was safe. I awoke one morning to a rabbit massacre in my yard as a child. I lost my mommy rabbit and many of her bunnies to a neighbor's dog. But God did save two little guys for me who had lodged themselves between the house and the fence.

Thanks for your comment yesterday!

Gettysburg Homestead said...

Those darn foxes... I am so glad you found the rabbit. A ray of sunshine through the tragedy.

I am glad the rest of your day went well.

You can get remnant linoleum at any carpet store or ask at Lowes or Home Depot.

Karin @ 6ByHisDesign said...

God is Good! All the time - and I just LOVE it when he responds to even my small requests to find my simplest things!

LOVE your story of how you got to where you are!

Many blessings,
~Karin

Liz Harrell said...

Poor chicken. I'll say this much, there have been many a prayer go up over Mabel back when she was so sick a few years ago. He knows when a bird falls from the sky, he certainly hears our worries and fears and love for our pets.

Nicole said...

Mrs Trixi - Good news, you won the chandelier giveaway. E-mail me with you address and we will get it sent to you ASAP. Thanks so much for participating and congratulations.

Nicole said...

Sorry I forgot to get you my e-mail address. It's...
cardswappinmom@yahoo.com

These Are The Days said...

How awesome that your prayer was answered and you sweet daughter was spared more loss. I just found your blog and love it already. I too am a home schooling mom...well, I am just starting out. I've been very excited all summer to start school but I have to say the last few days I am SO nervous. Do you have any advice for a "Newbie" like myself? Good luck with your chickens. I hope that darn predator doesn't come back.