Angel in the Ditch--Unexpected Cheer in a Dark Time

When I very reluctantly agreed to take in the fawn my friend was no longer allowed to keep, (she was told she couldn't have it in native housing and was very upset because she had saved the little one's life after it had been found in a nearby ditch and, with the allowance of game commissions, had gotten very attached to it), I didn't know that I had just said yes to a lot of fun and joy along with the responsibility and work I knew we were in for. 

First of all, I had no idea how it would change the dynamics in our home that was very quiet with both Crystal gone to Africa and Hannah gone for a week and a half to Colorado for youth camp and time with siblings. Our home here was also full of quiet dread of future biopsies and diagnoses for Jonathan besides shock and sorrow over the tragic loss of Rob, Jonathan's youngest brother. I had never seen Jonathan so utterly low when he came home from work in the evenings--sitting bowed, silent and low, before and after supper.  

Let's just say it was a little bit awful. Until. 

Enter--Fawn!

Knowing of the fawn's arrival, when Jonathan and Danny arrived home from work Friday evening, Danny charged into the house with a face aglow with expectation of meeting the newest family addition. 

He was especially eager to see how the other farm animals would react to it. I had waited to let the fawn outside much before Danny was home to help me catch him if he got out of hand. 

I also had to temporarily keep the fawn away from our cat who had immediately and mercilessly attacked him like a tiger because my neighbor and I had first put the fawn in the garage where kitty and her one remaining kitten were. Kitty thought fawn was going to eat her kitten, and she decided to eat him first--and she probably would have if my friend and I had not rescued the poor fawn. He already had a bleeding nose and leg within the first half minute of being in my garage--so much for being responsible for him! :) :)

I put the poor thing in the mud room then where my friend said tearful goodbyes, with the fondest hug you ever saw a human being give a helpless animal. And then  bravely, my friend left, and I, a bit nervous about my added responsibilty, was in charge of baby fawn--all by myself at first. 

Now that Danny and Jonathan were home, we put the fawn out immediately and watched it quickly win over every last animal on the place--with his innocent meekness and charm.

Even Bell, our fiesty goat, ready at first to knock the fawn out, as you can see in the photo above, quickly realized fawn was not a challenge and just wanted to be friends. Bell never touched Fawn.

And so they were friends.

Even Kitty, once she was outside with Fawn with us closeby, quickly decided Fawn was not a menace after all. 

The next day Kitty was rubbing her face on Fawn's neck, a silent apology for her unwarranted behavior the day before--a mistake, just like we humans make sometimes,

thinking (from past bad experiences) something or somebody may be a terrible menace or enemy when in fact they soon show themselves to be a friend, or at least not out to hurt or destroy us. 

I watched Jonathan, who had been bowed and silent the day before, standing with a big smile, watching that charming baby that someone's loving heart had rescued. 

The baby fawn we'd helped rescue...

rescued us.

I think he was an angel covered with spotted, brown hide and a little, wet, black nose--found in the ditch up at the edge of Swift Bear Community. 

A spotted angel in a ditch.

Just like God to come up with something like that!!