Life is a Miracle...

WOW. What an incredible suprise of a day did I have a few days ago.

Let me give you a bit of an update...

As a vet student, I love being around animals. It feels almost necessary for me to surround myself with a variety of furry creatures. I love keeping pets and caring for my animals as a way of "fuzz therapy"- reminding myself of the innocent passion that made me fall in love with this profession. 

So what better way to do that than with my two furry guinea-pig roommates, Scotch and Soda.

I aquired Scotch in October last year. A sweet little guinea pig with long hair and a fiesty personality. He was a blessing to have around but the more I researched caring for guinea pigs the more apparant it became that guinea pigs are social creatures that cherish furry company.

So on the 1st of April I purchased Soda-an adorable bedheaded guinea pig to befriend Scotch.

Scotch and Soda... my guinea pig collection was complete, or so I thought.

As a vet student, I am obviously well versed in the reproductive realities of keeping male and female animals together. But as a responsible pet owner and vet student, I had Scotch go in for the big-pig-snip well before I bought Soda.

In my mind, there was no way that I wanted to allow my pets to even have the possibility of breeding. And knowing the various medical risks of reproduction, I believed that I had done everything necessary to ensure no future guinea-piglets.

So yesterday morning, I was sitting chatting with my mom and we had the guinea pigs cuddling with us. She was holding Soda. My mom turned to me and remarked,

"Is your guinea pig not getting a little fat?"

Yes, I had noticed Soda's belly expanding somewhat, but I was feeding my pigs very good quality feed and Soda seemed to have quite an appetite, often bullying Scotch for his food. I had been feeding them more than the recommended amount of food to ensure that both pigs got enough, so it seemed logical that she was getting a bit tubby.

"Robs," my mom continued, "her spine and ribs are prominent so she cant be fat, but her belly is very expanded. Are you sure she isn't pregnant??"

Of course I was sure, I had done everything to prevent that...
 But as my mom said the words, it was like my eyes had been opened. My guinea pig was definately pear shaped, a classical sign for pregnancy in guinea pigs. Frantically I consulted a vet who confirmed the diagnosis- not only was she most likely pregnant, but she was likely very far along. 

How could this have happened, and how did I, as the responsible vet student, not pick up on the obvious?

The gestation period in pigs is 2 months, and having had her for only one month, it became obvious that she had probably been doing the hanky-panky at the pet shop. 

Knowing the risks for a young guinea pig to go through pregnancy it came as a shock and huge concern for me. I hadn't prepared for this and it seemed a bit of a disaster to my "perfect plan".
Dystocia, death in labour, rejecting the babies, having to wean and rehome up to 6 baby guinea pigs- my concerns were mounting and I felt a dreaded guilt at not realising the situation sooner to provide better care for this poor little creature. 

5 years ago I wouldve been over the moon with excitement for this new adventure, but 3.5 years of vet school has hardened me to the harsh realities of life...

So that evening I was sitting in my lounge cuddling my very fat pig. I had my hand under her enormous belly, gently stroking her up her back while she "giggled" in only the way that guinea pigs can.

Then I felt it... the strong kick of life coming from within Soda's belly. And then another, and then another. 

It was the most magical feeling in the world...

Feeling the absolutely amazing miracle that is life, the cynisism within me slowly melted away.

So yes, sometimes I plan things supposedly perfectly.

With my knowledge and experience, I can ensure that things won't go unexpectedly- no suprises and no room for mistakes. 

But God has other plans- and at the end of the day the things that are least expected are often the greatest of miracles.

Yes, the risks are still very much there, but at the end of the day I am certain that whatever happens, God is still in control. 

This little adventure has turned into a beautiful reminder from God that despite the cynicism that my studying and that the stress of this world may throw at me...

...Life is truly a miracle.

xxx

  I wrote this post about two weeks ago.

On monday evening I was sitting in my res room cramming some work for a test I was due to write when Soda started making some soft guinea pig noises.

When I went to check on her all was well and so I got back to the books.

About fifteen minutes later Soda was still quielty "talking" and when I went to open up her house to give her a cuddle I was encountered with 2 little adorable, fluffy baby guinea pigs.

Mom and baby pigs were both fine, my fears had been relieved and the beautiful little creatures have wormed their way into my heart. 

God truly is amazing and I am grateful for His work.

To some these creatures seem small and insignificant, but when I watch them, running around and eating and playing, it is just a small reminder to take a moment to appreciate God's signature that is beautifully written in the world around us. 

Robyn 

A Time for Testimony.

I was priviledged enough to grow up in a Christian home, having parents with a deep passion for the Lord. Thanks to them, I came to know about the Lord at a very young age, and chose to accept Jesus into my life even before the age of 7. In my early years, I truly had a solid understanding of what it means to have "faith like a child. At the time it seemed unfathomable and completely unnatural to not believe in the Lord.

Today, being older, I can understand that my undying faith and trust at that stage may have largely been based on the fact that I was young and innocent. But my memory of how I looked completely lovingly and trustingly at my "Daddy" is something that I can only aspire to do now. The faith that I had as a child is the closest thing that I can imagine to what it will be like in heaven. 

I owe a lot to my parents. Without the solid grounding in faith that they gave me I would not have the faith I have today and I will always be grateful for this.

Up until the time I was 11, my family and I were attending a church nearby to where we stay. Unfortunately, as in many churches, political issues forced the church to split. There were a lot of political issues and the church eventually split. As a family, we went with the minister to a church that he planted but the split had. This caused some pain amongst the congregation and despite remaining spiritual, my family eventually stopped attending church.

At this stage I was 13 and although being Christian and having immense faith as a child, I did not really have a mature understanding of what it means to live out a life as a Christian. I went to church simply because my family had and I followed them and stopped attending too. 

Through my teenage years, we faced some really rough times as a family. It was a time when I was learning who I was and growing up. I made my own fair share or bad decisions including a bad relationship

In truth, I had turned my back on God. Its hard to explain what I was feeling spiritually at that point but a part of me wrongly believed that God - , knowing all my thoughts and choices - could not possibly want or love me. I truly feel that the lack of a relationship with God in those years had put a moderate sized hole into my heart that I was unsuccessfully trying to fill with external things. 

When I got out of my long term relationship at the time, I was quite bitter and miserable. It had been a bad breakup and it forced me to confront this hole that I was feeling. I could not explain it... I had everything that seemed important: - a family that, despite having gone through rough times, loved me immensely; good grades that would allow me to continue in my dream to be a vet and good friends. I still somehow felt like I was missing something..
I was 18 when I hit that realisation, and made the choice to try find religion in my life. I was not sure at the time if looking for God would help, but I felt I needed to try anyway.

I attended church with a friend of mine and they were playing Casting Crowns' "Who am I?". As I was listening to the words I prayed that if God- who knew every bad choice and every bad thought, and who I could offer nothing to- wanted me as I was, that He would come into my life and fill the emptiness that I felt.

I didn't hear any heavenly voice booming from the sky. No white doves or ringing bells. What I receive was an overwhelming sense of God's love and acceptance. It was my own "Prodigal Son" -or daughter in my case- story.

I can't tell you that since then, I've had unwavering faith or that the world always makes sense and I have every answer. I can't tell you that since then my spiritual walk has been free from bumps or rocks. What I can tell you is that I know with all my heart that nomatter how far off His path I may feel or how many mistakes I feel that I have made, God truly is waiting right behind me with arms wide open. He's simply waiting for me to turn around and let Him welcome you home. 

I pray that in sharing this story, God can use me for His good. If not, then I know I can use it to simply remind myself of His constant, undying love for me and for all of His children.  

The choice: Spitting or Paradise

(Image: http://a-voice-in-wilderness.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html)

Its truly amazing what procrastination can do... At this point I'm meant to be writing up a 15 page seminar on the "Trends in wool sheep production in South Africa." So naturally instead of writing it I logged onto Youtube and downloaded one of my favourite Christian songs that I haven't heard in a while and it struck a thought that I felt the need to write about.

The song is Don Fransisco's "Too small a price"...

"I awoke to hear the jailor, turn the key and push the door

'Get out here!' he shouted, but i stayed there on the floor

Frozen in the terror that rose and filled my brain

For I knew what they intended and I could not face the pain..."

This idea seems a little too real to me... I haven't actually been locked up in jail, but sometimes in life we do have to face terrifying situations.

Sometimes we mess up and facing the consequences seems hard or terrifying. The song is based from the perspective of the thief that was crucified next to Jesus. In the song, the thief starts off mocking Jesus, before coming to a heavenly realisation that there is something far greater than what meets the eye...

"The crowd that stood around His cross made jokes about His name
They shouted, laughed and spat on Him so I joined in the game
I said, ‘Hey! If you're the King why don't you get us down from here?
The taunt just sounded hollow and it echoed in my ears

'Cause He looked at me with eyes that seemed to reach into my heart
They shone a light on all my lies and tore my life apart
There was more that lay behind His gaze than simply blood and clay
But knowing was too much for me; I had to look away"

Sometimes God calls us out on what we've done wrong. Maybe we've followed the crowd, mocking the Saviour. Maybe we've done things wrong enough to warrant us being punished by our government, as that thief had. Or maybe it seems smaller than that, simply turning our backs on God...

Whats so amazing about this song for me is Jesus' reaction to the thief's cry of repentance...

"... And in spite of all that watched us there, it couldn't be denied
Because His righteousness and innocence were shining bright and strong
I just couldn't keep my silence and that cursing still went on

**(Talking to the accusing thief on Jesus' other side)**

I cried out, ‘Don't you fear the wrath of God even at the end?
You'll curse us both into the pit - is that what you intend?
We're only getting what we're due - we've sinned our whole lives long
But don't you talk to Him that way - He's done nothing wrong!'

Then with all my courage, in a voice not quite my own
I asked Him ‘Lord, remember me when you sit upon Your throne'
He answered me and, even then, His love was undisguised
He said ‘Before the sun has set today, you'll be with Me in Paradise' "

This passage from the song gives me goosebumps. There is so many elements to it. On one hand, you have the love that Jesus shows to someone who has been accused and hated (probably deserving so) by all his peers...

Then you have Jesus, who even having endured so much pain, to be physically worn down and broken, would use His breath to ask for forgiveness of mankind and to offer words of forgiveness and comfort to someone who literally 30 seconds before had joined in with the mockers and accusers of Jesus.

I'm sure that if I had gone through everything that Jesus had that day, I wouldn't feel like forgiving those who wrongly put me there, and least of all I wouldn't exert physical effort to offer comfort to someone who seemingly didnt really deserve it. It really strikes me that even in the last agonising hours of His life, Jesus cared more for His people than He did for Himself or His own comfort... 

Makes you wonder what that thief must have felt. It's assumed he spent his life not as a follower of religion or of Jesus. He obviously had a brush with the law that got him crucified that day. He knew what was going to happen that day. Maybe he'd spent his time on earth living a not-so-righteous life. I don't know what life he lived, maybe he slept around, lied, cheated. Or maybe he was a good citizen that happened to be in the wrong place and wrong time and tempted to do a wrong thing that got him crucified. But whatever life he lived, it didnt chenge Jesus' reaction to a plea. In fact, it doesn't really seem important to Jesus at all. I can only imagine how afraid and hopeless the thief felt on that day. Hanging on his cross, he got to share his darkest time with Jesus right at His side... Its a little reminder that we get to as well.

As a broken and despaired human, Jesus chose to reach into that man's situation and give him an out, give him hope and a promise for paradise. If I was that man, having nothing- no hope and about to die- if nothing else the hope that Jesus' words would have given me would allow me to die in peace. I know that if as a human He chose to do that, in spirit Jesus will most certainly do the same for us when we face our darkest hours, be they in our lives or when we are about to die...

All we have to do, is decide which thief we'd like to be. Continue spitting and mocking, or simply ask for the thing that Jesus is longing to give us...