Hope has been described in many ways. Emily Dickenson described it as “that thing with feathers.” But apparently, it can also be described as that thing with fur and big ears. A farmer and his wife were living a very quiet life outdoors. They had everything they needed, and they had each other. Unfortunately, they also had something they regretted. The farmer’s wife had just been diagnosed with stage-4 endometrial cancer.
She needed as much love as she could get, and her prayers would not go unanswered. Love came to her doorstep on a cool day in June, almost at the end of the month. It came in the afternoon as the wind was blowing her hair and her husband was there by her side. It came in the form of a dying fawn. The fawn was very weak, and she was also blind. In the wilderness, it is the law of the strongest. Only those who have the biggest chance of surviving get momma’s milk. If there’s someone who is born weak, the mother usually abandons him or her.
This is exactly what happened to this little fawn, named ‘Dillie the deer’ by the farmers who found her. When the couple found her, she was in very bad shape. They didn’t even know if she was going to make it through the night. But they agree to take her in, help her in any way they could, and give her a second chance. If she were to make it, then it would be God’s will.
She proved to be much stronger than she looked. She also had a gift, a gift that would touch the hearts of people around the world. She had a lot of love to give. She was adopted in the farmers’ home. They gave her a name, food to eat, and a place to stay. She even got her own room in the house. The farmers felt she needed to be protected.
Now, she doesn’t need to look for food outside, the food comes to her. The farmers like many people who have seen her story can see far past her blind eyes, her fur, and slow walk. They can see the beauty of creation. The perfection of an animal that was born this way to find someone special and give hope to them.
This is the story of Dillie, and how she changed from a helpless dying fawn to the one living being that brought back hope and love. The couple only saw in her someone that needed help. They might have given her a second chance at life, but she gave them something better. She has proven to them that every life is a gift!
