Almost all of my life, I found time standing still for the presentation of new life in animal form. I have not kept track of the times I have observed, and sometimes assisted, in animal births. I am pretty sure the list includes goats, pigs, cattle, dogs, cats, horses and chickens. From an early age the process has inspired me, leaving an almost spiritual experience impression on my heart. Now to be sure the few times a mother’s life was lost in the process damped my enthusiasm, but has not eradicated my love for the process of new life appearing to the world. Oh yes, I have been privileged to observe the appearance of human babies on 3 occasions, but with an almost tear in my eye, never my own.
New life in the form of animal and human births present like the beauty of a new day, a sunrise, a new start, a new journey. Maybe that lies at the heart of my passion for the birthing process. Beautiful expectations for all the untapped possibilities, dreams and discoveries of potential capabilities envelope new life. I often felt a bit of anxiety and fear as well. Knowing the importance of timing for everything to go right leaves me feeling I witnessed a miracle. New life amazes me for all the development that occurs out of sight with a mothers womb. Aside from a larger abdomen and some rapid belly movements there is no outside indication of the inside growth and development. I think God works in our lives that way from the inside out. He speaks to our hearts and helps us make these little changes that over time appear in big ways. I suppose, truthfully this process might lead us the other direction if we are giving an ear to the devil. Makes a pretty strong argument for the importance of learning to know the voice of Lord.
On a complete side note: As I was writing this last paragraph I heard the distinct chirp of a baby chick from the incubator. No visible pips yet, but there is a definite chirp coming from across the room…New life! My heart leapt and I felt compelled to put the computer down to have a look. I could not find a single pip, perhaps it is out of sight or not quite through the shell. Fitting for the current topic!
Spring represents new life. Flowers, and plants begin pushing new growth up through the soil. Trees grow new leaves. Spring commonly presents the time frame for animal births too. While I have been present for the birth of several different species, I am going to speak to the three most common in my life: goats, horses, and chickens. This post is the first in a short series of 4 where I will be sharing a few stories of my animal birthing experiences.
To be honest, there are a few times the stories sadly ended in the loss of life. In those hard moments, I have questioned if I ever wanted to be present for another birth. The truth is, the good out weighs the bad for me. I would not trade the moments of joy just to avoid the painful ones.
Have you ever experienced the birth of an animal? If so please leave a comment telling about it. Would you like to see a chick emerging from its shell? Use the form below to receive a free video of a chick hatching.
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