Be like Maisie

Maisie got along with everybody. She was often found standing close by her pasture buddies. Waiting patiently for her food, Maisie made sure her friends got enough to eat before she meandered over to the remaining dish.   If someone stood by the fence to say hello, Maisie made sure to trot over and give a nuzzle. She was “others-centered.”

Now stuck for months in a 12 x 12 stall with a severe leg injury, Maisie did not become cranky. She watched the farmer sweeping the center aisle of the barn. She figured she could sweep, too. When a broom was left nearby, she went ahead and tried it.

Another way she could stay busy was to put her halter on by herself. She worked to free it from where it hung on the door. It was fun to help with the chores.

Maisie loved people. When some children walked by, Maisie whinnied softly to them. The kids stopped to chat with her, so she kept her ears stiff and pointed toward them so they knew she was listening.

Farmer Terry visited, too. She began to scratch Maisie between the ears. “Maisie, you are good medicine. Thanks for teaching us to be cheerful despite our circumstances. You could be sad, but instead you make everyone around you glad.”

Maisie snorted in response, her way of saying, “I am happy and content.”

“A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.” Proverbs 15:13

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…” Proverbs 17:22

 

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Jennifer Tirrell has worked alongside many wonderful individuals serving the underserved across the United States and beyond, as well as mucking stalls and cleaning goat pens closer to home on her daughter’s farm ministry. She loves Jesus Christ, writing, kids and everything outdoors. www.writingwithjet.com