Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! (Psalm 98:4 NLT)
Last night was the livestock auction at our county 4H fair. It was the first time I had been since I was a senior in highschool when I auctioned off Bud, my hereford steer. Of course, Madolyn was on the second-to-last-page so we had a long night of waiting and watching, but it wasn't that bad. Madolyn was a nervous wreck because choosing to auction your livestock means you no longer own the animal, and unless the buyer gives it back, it goes home with someone else...or on a trailer to MARKET.
Now, the whole point of raising animals on the farm is for them to go to market, right? God created animals for us to eat. We are meat eaters and are not afraid to eat the beef from the cows that graze the pasture next to our house (or even our yard if they get out of the fence). We do not, however, eat goat. So I suppose we are sending our kids the wrong message. "Yes, honey, it's all part of the 4H experience, you raise the animal, you show it and you sell it. You are paid for your hard work and efforts. If they end up going to slaughter, so be it. They are an animal. It is life." But we are not eating goat.
This is Madolyn's third year of 4H. The first year we went out and bought $50 goats, Sandy & Patrick (Sponge Bob...ha). Patrick didn't last long...go figure. Sandy, however, survived us and Mad showed her the first year and got several awards for her. Awesome. Fast foward to last year. We prepare her to sell her goat at the auction...we get to the fair and realize we screwed up and she cannot be in the auction. Madolyn is praising the Lord because she did not want to sell her dear friend, Sandy...who was simply a dog in goat's clothing. (Sandy was a pet, visits in the house, roamed the yard, etc.)
This year we explain to her that if she wants to get any money from her projects, she will have to be in the auction, plain and simple. Okay, she says, I'll do it. We sign Dude up for the sale. Fair week comes. The little comments start. "So now what happens to Dude after the auction?" "Do they always give the goats back?" "Do you think there's a chance I'll get Dude back?" "No one wants a goat, right?" And again, we are replying as neutrally as possible, "Sweetie, there is no way to know." "It's just the risk you take." "You want the money, right?" (Sounds awful, but that's what it comes down to, you know.)
By last night she was a nervouswreck. Like I mentioned earlier, Mad was near the end of the list. I think that turned out to be a good thing because as she watched, over and over, 4Her's were allowed to keep their chickens, rabbits, sheep and goats. There were a few that weren't returned, but very few. She would leave my side where we were watching the auction, go back and "love on" Dude, come back for a while and repeat the process. Then she says "Well, all things happen for a reason, right? God does things for a reason so it's okay, it'll work out." Oh boy, this is not going to be good.
Finally, the time comes for Madolyn and Dude to take their turn in the arena. Madolyn and Dude circle the arena several times...I'm trying to get a decent picture, but I couldn't (don't even get me started) I can't keep track of who is bidding...and then it's over, just like that and I hear it...the sound of the angels and their trumpets...our dear neighbors bought Dude, the goat, and gave her back. Madolyn was elated...I was elated. Dude was not going to market, all is well in goat land, although Dude didn't seem to care one way or the other...Get this collar off of me and where is the hay...was what I gathered from Dude's expression.
It was a good night. It's amazing the amount of generosity in the community for these kids and their projects. The night before at the food auction, $10,000 was generated by the bids. That seems incredible to me. Thank you, Clark County. And thank you to our neighbors for saving Dude from the market!! There is a part II to this story, but it will have to wait until tomorrow...
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