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By Doug Ford, DVM, Production Animal Consultation, & Greg Quakenbush, DVM, Geissler Corp.

Fall, that mystical season of change. Cool, brisk, frosty mornings and warm, radiant, sunlit afternoons. Sandhill cranes headed south, brilliant colors, the scent of change in the air, bawling calves and, for some, the back-to-school blues. Fall used to be my season of conflict, always torn between the magic of the season and the torture of incarceration in a classroom well into my late 20s. Fortunately, my investment of discipline, dedication, and pain has birthed opportunity, and now I can savor every guilt-free fall for the rest of my life.

It is a special time of the year that reunites old friends, that time of the year to gather the herd, check a mouth or two, preg check, back pour and vaccinate. Weaning calves, a special day off from school for the harder-core ranch kids and, for many, payday. A time of the year to stop at noon, take a break, talk about the summer and share a meal. The cuisine of the day is usually chili and cinnamon rolls. Runny chili, gumbo chili, tomato soup chili, spicy chili, no meat chili, deer chili, Auntie Pearl’s Boer goat chili, chili with beans, no bean chili, chili with sour cream, chili with cheese or chili with onions on the side. Hot, cold or room temperature, with or without crackers. The preferred daily special for about two months solid! By mid-December, I am always a little embarrassed when the cook says, “What’s the matter, Doc? Aren’t you hungry?” I just smile and have another bite or two. Usually by New Years, I have fully recovered from whatever gastrointestinal toxin chili pepper and cinnamon creates.

Working facilities and cow temperament vary from herd to herd but are all part of the fall experience. Some days are unbelievably smooth and streamlined, and others are the days God will unexpectedly slip in a life lesson on poise and patience.

As it turns out, one of those lessons would come my way on a glorious November Saturday morning this past year. We were pregnancy checking a herd that we have worked every fall for the past 30 years. Traditionally the cows flow well through the facility, but this year every third or fourth cow would enter the chute, drop to her knees in prayer position and worship a bit. With a little encouragement, sometimes using non-stockmanship techniques, they would eventually stand, be processed and calmly exit the chute. Frustrated at one point, the owner abruptly blurted, “Why are these dirty sons of a gun all praying this morning? It’s not even Sunday, Christmas or Easter!”

If you have never had the opportunity to spend a day chute side, you would not understand, but you have a lot of personal quality deep thought time. In one of those introspective moments, the owner’s question ignited a tsunami of internal dialogue. “Am I guilty as charged? I pray, sure I do. I read my Bible, sure I do. Are my oftenfeeble, fleeting efforts pleasing to the Lord? Sure they are, aren’t they, Lord?”

Unfortunately, many of us shoot a prayer skyward on Sunday, pray in a crisis, pray in desperation when we need an instant miracle or pray for material things. Discipline and dedication are hallmarks of most individuals who are successful and moving forward in today’s workforce. The two key principles are forged together on our journey to prosperity and success. But what about the most important realm, the spiritual realm? Are our dedication and focus being prioritized in the wrong kingdom?

The Bible commands us to pray without ceasing and to spend time continuously in his presence, not just when it is convenient. Relationship and prayer should be our constant priority, our joy, not a job!

I often reflect on a teenage learning moment that has taken many years to gain clarity. Back in the day, I was a self-professed genius, an all knowing, bulletproof, pimple-popping 16-year old too self-absorbed to even think about what really mattered in life. One day, my dad asked me to take a short trip with him to pick up parts. I remember well my dismissive attitude and almost contempt for his offer, “Why would I want to do that when I could spend time doing my more important matters or even spend time with my forever life-long best friends here on earth?” Today, a little too late, I understand what I perceived as anger on my dad’s part was deep, heartfelt hurt, rejection and disappointment because I dismissed his generous offer. Today I realize that all he wanted was to spend quality time with his child. I realize that every moment does not have to be a special day at the amusement park, a big business deal, a graduation or a vacation in the Bahamas.

The truly special moments often are found in that run to the parts store with our Heavenly Father. It may be carrying on a deep conversation or time just spent in total silence. Sometimes it is a big life-changing lesson or sometimes it is time spent just hanging out with “DAD” for the day. Do not be fooled, every opportunity and precious moment here on Earth has an expiration date.

Lesson learned, Lord: If it matters to me, it matters to You! Thank you, Lord. Thank you for clarity. Thank you for your Son.

Digging Deeper

Imagine a rope stretched across the length of the United States, enough distance that you cannot see the end of it. Now imagine that the first 8 to 10 inches of that rope is wrapped with red tape. That very short, miniscule, red-taped section of the rope serves to represent your life here on earth, a snippet of time generally 60 to 90 years. The remainder of the rope represents the rest of your life, your life in eternity.

What does eternity have to do with anything? Are you living for the “here and now”, or are you “paying it forward”, living with an eternity mindset? I think most have a skewed perspective regarding “forever.” James 4:14 states: Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

The verse from James is not an isolated verse. The Bible speaks extensively about the brevity of our life. Here is a parallel verse from Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT): “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

The reality is our days are numbered. Every second of our mortal life should now carry new meaning and significance. Our “expiration date” is real, and it is coming faster than most of us realize. Would your priorities and focus change if you knew that you only had a month before the end of the runway? How would you change your focus on priorities regarding work? How about relationships? Might we begin to tell others “I love you” with more frequency and greater intensity? Are there broken human fences that need to be reconciled? Would things that frustrate you become almost insignificant? Would your prayers and relationship with your heavenly father now become the reality and have the priority that you always wanted them to have?

I assume that most reading this would agree that knowing the number of our days would make a difference in what we deem truly important, especially regarding our relationships. So why don’t we do it? The answer is simple. Most do not have an eternal perspective. We might say we do, but the reality shows heavy if not exclusive investment in the “here and now”. A “me, my, I” centered life.

How might our lives be changed if our perspective regarding eternity was a priority? Joni Eareckson Tada, a Christian author, advocate, and artist, has experienced the difficulty of life. Joni, who has been a quadriplegic for 60 years since a diving accident at 17, knows and understands the impact of a life that has a heavenly mindset and focus. Joni shares:

“When a Christian realizes his citizenship is in heaven, he begins acting as a responsible citizen of earth. He invests wisely in relationships because he knows they’re eternal. His conversations, goals and motives become pure and honest because he realizes these will have a bearing on everlasting reward. … He gives generously of time, money, and talent because he’s laying up treasure for eternity. He spreads the good news of Christ because he longs to fill heaven’s ranks with his friends and neighbors. All this serves the pilgrim well not only in heaven, but on earth; for it serves everyone around him.”

It is hard to imagine that one would read Joni’s perspective and experience and then say, “Not interested,” and move on. Unfortunately, that will be the response of too many. It is also not hard to envision someone being deeply touched and inspired by her words, yet in the end, nothing changes. Why?

One answer to this “why” question might lie in a story that my 19-year-old grandson recently shared with me. In this parable, there was a field full of people with a wooden fence down the middle. The people were instructed to go on one side if they were with Jesus or to go to the other side if they were with Satan. One individual “blacked out” and when he woke up, everyone was gone. He then saw Satan approach and instruct him, “Come with me.” The man emphatically responded, “No, I did not choose you! I was on the fence.” Satan replied, “I own the fence.”

This parable shared with me by my grandson has a somewhat equivalent verse in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT), Jesus sends a message to the church at Laodicea and says to them: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”

In some Bible versions, the term “spit” is translated as “vomit”. Thus, a lukewarm faith, lukewarm obedience, lukewarm relationship that essentially says “whatever” is firmly and absolutely rejected by Christ. So much for trying to ride or straddle the fence. Mediocrity in living out our spiritual lives is a perilous position.

Psalm 90:12 (NLT) Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Colossians 3:1-2 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

Doug Ford, DVM is the owner of Beaver Creek Veterinary Clinic in Brush, Colorado. Doug earned his DVM degree from Colorado State University. Brush, Colorado has been his home since graduating from Colorado State. Doug’s practice has been remarkably diverse over 40 years of veterinary medicine. Dogs, cats, cow-calf, feedlot, two sale barns, and spaying thousands of heifers for grass. The last 20 years of practice has been 50% large western dairies and 50% beef cattle (spaying, cow-calf, and feedlots). In 2005, Doug was given the privilege to become one of the six founding members of PAC. Doug and his wife Jan ranch in their “spare” time. They are also heavily involved in a wetlands development project on the South Platte River near Snyder, Colorado. Doug’s dad used to say, “Get your grades up. Do you want to grow up to be a ditch digger?” Doug had no idea how much fun it would be to play in the dirt with dozers and track hoes. He feels truly blessed and believes that the best days are yet to come.

Greg Quakenbush, DVM is a 1978 graduate of Colorado State University and spent 16 years in large animal practice in Porterville, California. For 19 years, Dr. Q worked for Zoetis (Pfizer) and was Director of the US Cattle Technical Services team. Since 2013, Dr. Q has worked with the Geissler Corporation assisting in the development of new veterinary diagnostic technologies. Dr. Q enjoys Bible study, shooting sports, fly-fishing, and being a part-time farmer growing citrus and nuts in the central valley of California.