I'm thankful for bad days.

Today we worked and sold calves. It rained, it was muddy, and the cattle were very difficult. So basically it was a typical day. Normally my husband helps but he was unable to today so that left me and daddy. My daddy is extremely tough and he amazes me at what all he does despite his severe COPD. He would probably wouldn't be to happy with me for saying that because he feels like he doesn't ever do enough.  I started praying about today and how it would go on Friday because we had certain calves that we needed to be sold today. Believe it or not it's an art form to how you do this, if one thing is off your whole day will be wasted. The cattle came up fairly easy, and of course my famous last words were "we'll be done in no time". We got through the first bunch and went straight into the second feeling great. I noticed "our target" was getting anxious and worked up, but we put him with a couple of cows to settle him down and get him in the barn. The cows go in but he doesn't. He made a circle behind us so we start over and right when I step up he takes off after me. Normally I'll stay put and try to bluff them into stopping but this guy wasn't backing down. I got out of the way and he runs straight into the first gate knocking it down. I walk down to bring him back in praying the whole way he doesn't get out. Prayer answered, we get him back in the smaller lot that enters the barn and the same thing happens. This time when he circled I saw him line up with gate number two and when he hit it he hit it so hard that it broke the hinges. The only thing I can think about is I've been praying for three days that we get these calves up and it's blown. What did I do wrong? But at the same time I'm hearing a voice say be glad it was the gate he hit and not one of you. I couldn't shake the disappointment or self pity, that's the only thing I could think about. Maybe if I had taken a moment to get over myself and realize that we had been protected instead of shorted I would have noticed another calf come into the lot. I didn't even know needed to be sold. We didn't have to do anything, he actually walked straight into the barn without a minutes problem. That's when it hit me. The Lord was watching over us, many people have been seriously injured by cattle. In a split second we could have been hurt. He didn't take away anything from us, but provided with something better. He gave me a fine lesson in humility and it was much needed. Even though those personality checks don't feel to good at the time they make you a better person. It's an honor to have my faith strengthened because it only brings me closer to You. At the end of the day I'm thankful that my plans didn't work out and his did.