SHALOM! There is much more to Shalom than peace. This morning if you were in Israel and you greeted someone, you would be telling them, “May you be full of well-being” or “May health and prosperity be upon you!” 

Shalom also carries the meanings:  to make completed; make good, peace, prosper, and so much more.

Leland literally raised his cattle to respond to the word Shalom. He used this process to train them to his voice. When he called them, he would yell, “Shalom” and they would always come running. They knew if he called them, it was time for a little sweet feed.

One time, we received a phone call from the police at 3:00 o’clock in the morning. The officer asked, “Are you the people who raise cattle?” Upon an affirmative, she said, “Well, they’re out in the road. Our guy is down there with them.”

Someone was driving home from work and ran (not literally) into the cattle milling around. Some were eating grass from the side of the road. Most were just standing there, very confused.

Leland went down to the road. There was the police cruiser parked at one end of the milling cattle. The driver who reported them being out was at the other end of the group.

The officer asked if Leland needed help putting them back in. I’m sure he envisioned a long night.  Leland replied in the negative.

He had left the gate open at the end of our long driveway. He went to stand by the gate and hollered, ”Shalom”. The herd bull Budd immediately started toward Leland and the gate. The rest of the herd followed Buddy, then went running up our driveway and back to their field.

Cop said he’s never seen anything like it.

Instead of turning into the left field, Buddy stopped at the fence to the field on the right. He flirted with the ladies who had come up to their fence to see what all the hoopla was about.

Leland got some sweet feed to reward the cattle that went right back to their field. He “Shalom’d” Buddy a few times, shaking his pail. With a longing look at the ladies, Buddy reluctantly headed toward Leland and his own field.

Later we discovered they had followed Buddy, who’d broken through the fence. We never did learn what spooked him.

Shalom – peace anytime you need it!