I don’t think I’ll ever forget the day my husband bought her for me. In her pictures, she was shiny and soft with giant brown eyes and a proud stance that amplified the bright yellow Grand Champion ribbon she had just won. I loved her the moment I saw her and knew her name was surely a sign she was meant to be here on our homestead. “Happy MothersBirthMas” he said, the remark a reflection of her price tag.

When I went to pick her up, I pulled into a gated driveway of a breathtakingly beautiful, large estate in Northern Va. Lush pastures and barns spanned wide, perfectly painted to match the house up on the hill. When her breeder welcomed me into the gate, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted down into a seemingly bottomless field. Up trotted a single file line of 20, give or take, of some of the most beautiful goats I’d ever seen. Gentle and plump loving bodies surrounded me with their sleek coats and bright eyes. It was heaven!

Not a single collar or leash was needed to separate Hope from the rest and she eagerly followed us into the corral where she was normally fed grains and milked. Her breeder mentioned she was a little on the thin side, gave her a dose of pro-biotics and de-wormed her before we went on our way.

The move was stressful for her. She bleated and shook the entire drive home. The following months have been a learning experience for both of us. I’ve read more articles on dairy goat nutrition than I care to admit. On the ADGA body scoring page, I would say Hope has remained at a 2 despite my best efforts to put weight on her.

So, I began to ask around. I asked friends with goats, breeders and fellow bloggers with educational backgrounds in ruminant nutrition. A culmination of the wonderful advice I received resulted in the following checklist for growing Hope:

1) Internal Health
2) Nutrition
3) Energy Balance
4) Prayer

I knew just by her name that the Lord would use her to teach me things…

When given her background, the first question I was always asked was “did you check for worms?” Even though she was de-wormed before she came here, times of stress often cause an outbreak. With goats, internal parasites steal nutrition causing them to lose condition. And it’s the same with us, friends.

Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

When we’re in bad condition, needing Hope, the first step to finding it is to rid ourselves of the things that are robbing us. Maybe it’s addiction, toxic relationships, or greed. Sin robs us of Hope.

The second question was “what are you feeding her?” This goat in particular does not have a voracious appetite. She always leaves grain in the bowl (or throws the bowl because she’s a total DIVA… but I digress). I examined the quality of the nutrients, tried various feeds, including higher fat horse feeds. She only likes certain things…which presents a challenge when trying to add weight. The same is true for us. What we take in, determines our condition.

John 4:4

“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst: but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life”

When we cast our focus on what is good and true, and surround ourselves with others who do the same, finding Hope is inevitable and leads us to a better place mentally, physically and emotionally.

The third issue folks brought to my attention was energy balance. This is something animals bred for milk production often struggle with. In an excerpt from Dairy Goat Body Condition Scoring It’s written;

“High-performing dairy goats do not typically reduce their productivity if the feeding program is inadequate. Rather, they will often maintain a relatively high level of production and their body condition (fat and muscle reserves) will reflect the lack of nutrient intake.”

Hope was on milk test when she came to live with us and produced 3.3 lbs on her second test as a first freshener. That is a LOT of milk and very promising from a production standpoint! However, being that she produces so well, I have to really concentrate on her nutrition so she doesn’t lose condition again. I dried her off earlier this month and am focusing on getting her ready for fall breeding. For us, this highlights the importance of self care.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

It’s so easy to let ourselves run down to empty, isn’t it? In motherhood I’ve struggled here a thousand times and still do. We can’t help others if we’re depleted to the point of feeling hopeless. It simply can’t be done. Making the time to pour into ourselves is vital to our wellbeing.

The last and most important step in our journey to growing Hope is to pray. Before the chaos of the morning ensues, you’ll find me alone feeding Hope, before anyone else in my home is awake, praying over her and my family, friends, readers and our future. Her sweet smell and the solace of a few quiet moments before the Lord make my heart happy and help me to start the day on the right foot.

Ephesians 1:18-19

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

**Special thanks to Alli at Longbourn Farm, Lacey at Raising Arrows Nubians, and Terryn over at Faith Family and Beef for connecting us!