PROTECTED BY THE LORD'S HANDS AGAIN

Sooo... yesterday AJ and I went for a ride, sort of.  We didn't get far because Buddy was limping, just sore from having recently been trimmed.  Anyhow we went back pretty well immediately and all was fine until AJ went to get off.  He swung over to get off, hung down like usual and dropped down but this time his momentum took him backwards and to his bum, under tiger.  Tiger and Buddy didn't spook or anything but Tiger put his foot down on AJ's hand.  I tried to get him to lift his foot, which he did but he put it down on AJ's tummy.  Now I'm in full panic mode and so is Tiger because he felt him under him and immediately picked his foot up but didn't know where to put it back down so he sort of stumbled/stutter stepped to get away and off of AJ who is screaming "OWEY!!!" over and over again.

 As soon as Tiger moved off him I dropped the reins and scooped AJ up and ran to the truck with him, leaving both horses standing there by themselves.  All AJ would say was Owey and when I asked if it hurt on inside or outside he screamed inside so I ran back to the horses and pulled the saddles off and left them laying there and put both horses in the pasture and ran back to the truck.  So fast forward a couple of minutes, R and I decide to drive him in as he has stopped crying rather than call an ambulance.  They got us right into a bed at the hospital thankfully and after a little bit the tests got started.  The poor little guy had to get an IV, which he hated but he acted like a champ and held still and didn't have to be restrained and didn't even cry!!  After most of the tests were done he started complaining that he was thirsty, of course he couldn't  have anything to eat or drink so we were trying to keep him distracted  and entertained.  They gave him a puzzle for being so awesome with the IV but that only worked for so long.

That's when super dad, R, got into full swing.  He had him laughing out loud with the test tubes and begging for more.  He found that this way worked best, the glass end was slippery and they kept falling out which made for some laughs but the rubber end had some grip power and AJ loved it,

  So much so that he decided to try it himself.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, his nostrils aren't big enough and they wouldn't go in.  I have to admit I was a bit concerned that we were teaching him something we would regret but I recalled that while in Idaho AJ had stuck a lego man head up his nose and came running to me to get it out.  We reminisced about that and AJ remembered how that had hurt, so I'm confident, or at least hopeful that he won't do it again.  The funniest part was when a nurse walked by and saw R with the tubes in his nose and asked if there were any urine in them with a very disgusted  and concerned look on her face.  R was pretty embarrassed and after that would only put them in after lots of begging and a thorough look to make sure the coast was clear.

Thankfully, and miraculously, AJ escaped the day with only a small scrape on his tummy and the top of his thigh.   I know the Lord was protecting him.  I'm so grateful that he is ok and that Tiger isn't stupid or mean spirited or anything other than who he is and that Buddy is who he is and didn't even bat an eye during all the screaming and hubbub.  R said to me as we were leaving, "you know how lucky we are right?"  "Yes, I know. "  And I do.  I know that the Lord protected him and answers prayers, even or especially the ones uttered in a panic.  I know that if Tiger was stupid or mean spirited he could have put all his weight down and killed my baby and I'm grateful he isn't and didn't.  I said before he was an awesome horse, I'll say it again and I'm so grateful to know how blessed I am that the Lord really is aware and does care about each and every one of us individually.  He isn't some vague concept.  He is real.  He is our  Father in Heaven and just like any other father he cares and he is involved in our lives in a real way and I am thankful for that and for the knowledge of that.