We were working cattle at our family ranch near Crystal City, Texas. When we worked cattle, it was an “all hands on deck” type of situation, because it was mostly a shoestring operation, meaning we didn’t have money to hire hands. So, it was my Dad, my brother Tony, my son Jess, my daughter Cody and myself. My 13 year old daughter Cody was working the cutting chute that day while the rest of us were pushing the cattle through the working chute. The object of the game was to separate the calves that were old enough to go to the livestock sale from the rest of the cattle. Cody was laying face down on her stomach on a platform about eight feet in the air. She was watching the cattle come down the chute below and in front of her, so that she could swing the cutting chute gate to the left for the big calves or to the right for the cows and smaller calves. Directly underneath Cody was a concrete slab that was very rocky and uneven. Things were going along pretty well that day until this cow with ear tag # 23 came along. If it’s any indication, we called her “Ole Loco”. I don’t know if maybe her calf was already in the pen on the right, or if she was just being her usual loco (crazy) self, but when Cody moved the chute gate to the right so she would go into the pen on the left with the rest of the cows, she stuck her head behind the cutting chute gate and pushed her way into the pen on the right side. She was so big and strong that when she did that, she actually moved the post on the right side of the chute that supported the platform where Cody was lying. She moved it so much that the platform support broke loose and the platform fell down on the end where Cody’s head was. Cody fell too. She fell from about eight feet in the air, head first and landed on the back of her neck right on that rocky, rough concrete! I was afraid at first it had killed her. We all gathered around Cody. She was unconscious for a few minutes and when she came to, she was delirious. She was talking but her words made no sense at all. Dad ran and pulled his white double cab pickup as close to where Cody was lying as he could, then they loaded Cody into the back seat with her head in my lap. While Jess and Tony stayed to finish working the cattle, Dad drove Cody and I to the hospital in Carrizo Springs. Even though I know he drove as fast as he could over those roads, the trip seemed to take forever. Cody kept talking deliriously, but I held her hand with one hand and put my other hand on her forehead and prayed in the Spirit for her all the way to the hospital emergency room. She was transferred to a gurney and then wheeled inside from the emergency room entrance. They began to evaluate her and then took her for x-rays and maybe a CT Scan. Coincidentally, (I don’t believe in coincidences!) my mother was working as a registered nurse at the Dimmit County Hospital that day, and she came to meet us in the emergency room just minutes after we got there. Now, my mom was a real prayer warrior (and I’m sure she still is) and I know she and Dad and Jess and Tony were all lifting up prayers for Cody that day. I knew that blackouts and delirium were both signs of concussion, but we all just kept praying. After what seemed like hours but may not have been that long, they brought Cody back out. The doctor explained that they had checked her over extensively but found NO sign of concussion and no broken bones or internal injuries. The doctor put a neck brace on her before discharging her, just to be on the safe side he said. I thank the good LORD for answering our prayers that day and that He healed my daugher from any and all injuries from falling eight feet, head first and landing on the back of her neck on rough, rocky concrete. Yes, our God does still work miracles!
[KJVA] Psalms 103:2
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
[KJVA] Psalms 111:4
He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.