Guest Post: Shanyn Silinski “Caring For Those Who Don’t Have A Voice.”

Caring for those who don’t have a voice

by Shanyn Silinski

Another in the series of our posts, “What I learned from my first job.” Read more info about this writer at the end of this post. Want to participate? Send me an e-mail here.

I remember my first real job, when I was quite young. My family started a newspaper when I was five years old. It was done out of our house for the next almost 20 years. I grew up with a brother and a newspaper for siblings. We also had horses and cattle. And assorted pets. We all worked together on the newspaper. Everything from writing stories to taking photos to the actual layout and preparation for mailing.

Shanyn with her horse, LuLu

But that isn’t the first job I really remember impacting my life, and my faith. My first job was taking care of our animals. Our chores. Caring for the animals. Being responsible for their food. Their water. Their lives. I didn’t realize it then, how could I, but it formed my views on many things in my adult life.

I remember fibbing about feeding the two pet rabbits we had. It was my job, but instead I went to play until dark. When I was asked if I had done my chores I lied. Then my face must have given me away because I remember walking to their hutch in the near dark of early summer, crying, because I feared they had died from my lack of care. They were okay, it wasn’t like they were in danger of starving, but a young child doesn’t know that!

We had cats with kittens, horses with foals, cows with calves and dogs. All required some level of care. Horses needed to be groomed, ridden, fed and watered. Cattle needed to be checked. Pets needed love, food, water and play time. Growing up I spent my time with animal friends more than human friends – at least human friends my own age. Having the newspaper meant a lot of travel, a lot of work and a lot of time with adults.

God was working in my heart though, even at that young age, to care about those with no voice. To care for animals, to understand what it means to be needed by someone who can do nothing more for you but give you love.

Animals never judged me – people did. Animals rarely hurt me, and never with dark intentions – people did. Animals forgive easily – people do not. God touched me through His animals and when I came to the Lord when I was 13 it was with the animals He created that I felt the most like celebrating.

While my parents and others would have thought my first ‘job’ was writing or ‘flying the press’ or working with other aspects of the paper, I would say they were wrong. From my animals, from having to care for them, mourn them when they died, and working with the vets who treated them when they were sick or injured, I learned the lessons of Galatians so well. And I learned that we can speak up for those with no voice, to question those who are willing to stone first and judge quickly.

That first job started young, and continues today. And I am teaching my son the lessons he needs so that he too can be a good steward and a voice for those who have none. Having read the Bible a number of times I have underlined, highlighted and returned to those verses where God has celebrated His creation, acknowledged His animals and like Baalam’s donkey used them for His good.

Matthew 25:40
“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

And if we will do as Jesus did for each other, should we not also do it for those animals, and the land God graciously and abundantly blesses us with? I believe that was my first job and remains one of the most important jobs I have ever had.

Shanyn ranches with her husband and son in Manitoba, they have horses, cattle, cats and dogs. She is a published author, writes for a number of blogs and magazines and loves photographing God’s wonder. You can read her at: http://strawberryroan.blogspot.com, http://mystic-mom.blogspot.com and poetry at http://sunflowershan.wordpress.com

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Guest Post: Shanyn Silinski “Caring for those who don’t have a voice.”