Doing the Right Thing Sometimes Doesn't Feel Good

Yesterday we had to put down one of our favorite sheep. She had been with us over 4 years, a long time on a farm. She gave us 4 beautiful lambs over the years and was a favorite with a name, Big Mama.

First she broke her leg. But we were able to splint it and she was doing just fine. Then she was sick. We doctored her and she rallied for a week. Then she was sick again; rallied for a few more days. However, the third time she was very weak and wasn't getting better. We put her out of her misery.

It was very sad, especially since we did the deed ourselves. She was peaceful, but we weren't. It was quite emotional and we felt terrible. Yet it was the right thing to do.

There is a misconception that when we do the right thing, we will be in parades, people will cheer us along, rainbows will appear, we will ride about on unicorns, jasmine will fill the air. Not true.

Alot of the time when we do the right thing, it's not pleasant. Maybe we just offend someone when we speak the truth, maybe we have to really harm someone to protect the innocent, there are all sorts of ways doing the right thing doesn't feel right at the moment.

However, when we look in the mirror, we know in our hearts we have done well, have done right. If we don't dwell on me, mine and my feelings, but rather we look at the situation rationally ; we find peace. Dwelling on hurt feelings, or just talking about them over and over again somehow increases them. We find we must instead look to the rational situation for peace to settle in our hearts.

Maybe not parades, but peace in our hearts