In an up-coming post, I'll share some photos of the beauty of late spring around our parts. Spring is just a wonderful time. There is anticipation of the garden harvest, flowers abloom, and baby goats frolicking about in the pasture. Last week I chronicled the momma wren nurturing her little babies in a nest in Tricia's planter. God's creation and His creatures that inhabit the world are truly something to behold.
As I sat thinking about all God's creatures, I was reminded of this wonderful book that I read 18 years ago:
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
The author's name is James Herriot, but that's just a pseudonym. James Alfred Wight is his real name, and he was a real veterinarian in Yorkshire Dales of Northern England. In "All Creatures Great and Small" he recounts actual stories in his experience as a veterinarian. The book is beautifully written. His love for the quirky people, the animals (from goldfish to race horses), and the stunning countryside of Yorkshire comes across in his descriptive writing style.
Some stories are downright funny. Others are emotional and hit you right in the feels. The stories are true, but he's changed the names of all of the people to protect their privacy. I've got All Creatures Great and Small out on my counter to re-read, but I've just discovered Herriot's other works.
I checked out "All Things Bright and Beautiful" in audiobook format from the library and have been listening as I'm driving around for work. So far it's just as good as All Creatures Great and Small. His descriptions of making farm calls brings to my remembrance emergencies we've had on our farm, like, for instance, when Rosie stood up and stepped on her teat, tearing it with her hoof! Or, just recently, having a stillborn goat, or milk cows with mastitis, goats with copper deficiency, or cows with parasites. Every day is a new adventure being a steward of God's Creation. Sometimes you meet with success and other times you find failure.
I think the author gives us a formula for success: Have a love for people around you. Have a love for the animals you encounter. Have a love for the countryside. James Herriot's book titles tell you the most important thing: Have a great love for the Lord. He named four of his books after the verses in the hymn "All things bright and beautiful." It's a beautiful hymn, praising God for creating such a majestic creation. The hymn is in our church's hymn book, but we never sing it. Perhaps we'll learn it and sing it soon. Click the arrow below to listen:
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