Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

‘Pooh!’ he whispered.

‘Yes, Piglet?’

‘Nothing,’ said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. ‘I just wanted to be sure
of you.’"

                                  
-A.A. Milne

                                  
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

This is a warning: The following words may be disturbing. It began as a normal afternoon commute from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. At rush hour I never expect much….slow going, stop and start traffic, a little time listening to the news of the day on the radio. The temperature was very warm so I expected some stalled vehicles and I was not disappointed.

While crossing the bridge across the Mississippi, I noticed the movement along the side of a big tractor trailer truck. What was it? I opened my window to allow a little air into the car and got a whiff of, could it be…… ‘farm smell’? As my car inched up alongside the truck, there they were…..tiny piglet snouts poking out of the metal holes in the trailer. I could see the babies moving about, jostling for space. I was at once taken by how cute they were and heartbroken to see them confined in this way. I couldn’t stop myself from speaking to them out the window. My car moved past the truck and we continued our halting dance across 94 East.

Listening to a report on the economy, I hadn’t really noticed that the truck had moved far ahead of me. I had been distracted by other stalled vehicles and another pulled over by the police. A young man was being searched. I sent a silent prayer his way for both he and the officer. Who knows what their life holds? Soon I was involved in another slow down. This time as my view cleared I could see cars completely stopped. A woman was moving gingerly in the middle of the freeway reaching out toward the hot, black asphalt. There in the middle of the road was a tiny piglet. Somehow he had broken free through the narrow slots of the trailer. How? We all were suddenly suspended in time as this woman, who probably had never held a pig before reached down and picked up the pale pink, writhing animal. I don’t know if it was injured, just stunned or only frightened. Looking around, she gently lifted it into her car. I rolled down my window to offer my thanks…..for her bravery, her compassion. She looked equally as stunned as the little swine. What will she do with this little one?

It started out as a normal evening commute. But it became a time of prayer, a touch with adventure,a grand escape, an act of selfless compassion and a courageous rescue. Nameless woman, rescuer of pigs, blessings be upon you wherever you are.

"As God’s children, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, meekness, and patience." Colossians 3:12

Have a blessed weekend………………