Lazarus

 This morning, I woke up early while everyone was still asleep. 
Well, except Christian, who was outside with the cattle. 

 (He is always the first up in the house).
I had some Barre3 stuff to work on, plus I love waking up

 in a quiet house to study and have my own personal devotional.  
I got a nice pot of sizzling Christmas potpourri bubbling and

 wafting through the house with cozy Christmas music playing. 

 I felt I had died and gone to heaven.  

It would be EVEN better if Ollie was upstairs sleeping in

with everyone else. They stayed up until 2:00 am watching a movie.

Then I looked out my window where the goats were

grazing in the freezing cold.  I felt bad for them since

I was inside, lovely and cozy, and they looked miserable.

But Gigs' prized Alpine goat, Gump, looked REALLY miserable.

In fact, I was pretty sure he was dead.

He lay in the pasture, not moving. 

I watched him for a moment, waiting for movement.  Nothing.

I got up and went outside with some cantaloupe to share (they love cantaloupe).

The other two came running up, but not Gump.

I hate to admit it, but I even threw a few rocks at him

to get him to move, but again, nothing.

My heart sank.

Gump had passed.

I walked inside with a heavy heart and went upstairs to a zonked out

Gigs and shook him awake.

"Gigs, Gigs," I whispered.  "I think Gump is dead."

He shot up, "What? Why?"

Then he ran to the window, looked out, and said to me,

"No, he's just sleeping."

Then I explained I had gone outside and brought food to the goats

 and he didn't move a muscle.  

(I didn't tell him I had also thrown rocks at him.)

He ran down the stairs and outside.  (In his boxers).

I heard him whistle and yell Gump's name. It was like watching

 Lazarus being raised from the dead. 

Gump shot his head up and came running over to Gigs

 a dog to his master.

I was relieved and also shocked.

He knows Gigs' voice.

He loves him.

It was beautiful

These experiences are why Gigs is going to be an amazing missionary.

Gigs walked into the house and right back 

upstairs and back to bed.