Cow Tales

January 4, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
As a boy on the farm, my dad had milk cows.  It was always my job to round up the cows and herd them into the barn.  In the summertime, it was easy to round up the girls and bring them in.  All I had to do was open the gate, tell my trusty dog, Sport, “Go get them,” and off into the pasture he would run to bring them home to the barn.
 
One night I remember sitting at the kitchen table and looking out toward the barnyard and there lay a cow with its legs sticking up in the air.  I said something to the effect that that was certainly unusual.  I had never seen this before.  My dad jumped up from the table with a kitchen knife and ran to the bloated cow.  If you're wondering what he did with the knife, he punctured the cow to relieve the trapped gas within.  The rendering truck came the next day to haul away the dead cow.
 
Ever after that episode, my cow job expanded.  Once Sport brought them into the barnyard, it was now up to me to keep the cows moving so that they would belch up the gas within and not bloat.  Maybe I should do that after I eat a big meal. 😊  After the girls had been walking around for a while, then I opened the barn door and what happened next was always amazing.  Every cow walked up to its stanchion, the same one every time.  Then as dad milked the cows by hand, I walked in front and just watched the cows.  I learned that it is better to stand in front of the cow when it's in its stanchion than to stand behind it.  I shouldn't have to explain the reason why. 😊
 
As my dad milked those cows, without fail, all the kitties would line up for a squirt of milk.  I remember his laugh.  Then one day there was no laughter as he stood between two cows, and they decided to put the squeeze on him.  That was a frightening moment as I remember him pounding his fists on them to separate.  In the crush of the moment, he could not breathe.
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You can learn a lot about life in the barnyard and barn.  I wonder how long Jesus stayed in the barn in which he was born.  Such humble beginnings for He Who became the Savior of the world.  Thank you, Jesus for being the “way” to spend all eternity with You!
 
Love in Him,
Pastor Allan
 
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