Great Horse Stories (24 page)

God isn't looking for perfection. The only perfect person who walked planet Earth was Jesus. God is looking for willing hearts—people who will admit when they're wrong and then change their ways. People willing to ask for forgiveness and then jump back into the sleigh to give it another go.

God is love. And “love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Help me understand, Lord, the depth of Your patience and Your love so that I will always have the courage to turn to You and climb back into Your sleigh. Amen.

•
Thoughts to Ponder
•

Have you fallen out of the sleigh? Have you gotten back in yet? If not, what do you need to do to climb back in? How can you stay in the sleigh?

37

UNITY

Heart-Centered Relationships

P
at adjusted the headset for his microphone. Sweat trickled down his neck, and he took a deep breath. The sun was high overhead, and the Missouri air was sticky and humid. He stood in the round pen next to Evangelist and Prophet, his two black-and-white paint horses. The pen was set up next to a large circus canopy on the lawn of a country church. People milled around the grounds enjoying the Children's Fair.

Kids raced across green grass, chasing each other and screaming. Pat smiled as he watched the crowd move toward him. Some adults carried lawn chairs, while others gathered by the corral rails. As they settled in, he clicked on his microphone. “I'd like to thank everyone for coming out, and I want to thank the Lord for such a beautiful day.”

The crowd quieted down, and all eyes were on Pat and his horses.

“I use horses to teach biblical principles. Today we're going to discuss the principle of unity and teamwork and how it applies to our personal lives as well as to the church.” He knew the little community was suffering difficulties and many people were at odds with each other. That's one reason why he was here. Would his message make a positive impact?

Pat had lived the first few years of his life on a dairy ranch. Animals fascinated him. Although his family eventually moved to town, he never lost his love for animals. As a child he would curl up and read books about circus trainers and their training methods. Later he worked alongside horse trainers and became the assistant manager of a large breeding facility.

He became restless and dove into the rodeo world. He rode bulls and broncs—bareback and saddle. Then he made a decision to follow Christ. Although he attended church, he felt more like he was playing at it. He struggled with the concept of giving Christ free rein or lordship over his life. He'd received head knowledge about Christ, but his heart hadn't changed. He didn't have a
personal relationship
with Him.

Trying to fill the void, he set out to help others. He became a rodeo clown. He kept the cowboys safe after their rides on bulls and broncs. He inspired laughter in the crowds. The years rolled past, and the emptiness in his life became a deep crevasse filled with the skeletons of broken relationships and unhealthy behavior patterns.

His life changed when he was training horses at a Christian camp. There he was learning how to capture a horse's heart…and God captured his. While Pat was sitting on top of a mountain, God revealed His desire for a close relationship. Pat gave his heart to God, and God began to transform him from a broken-down cowboy into a cowboy with a vision to use horses to teach people about uniting their hearts with God.

A light breeze rustled Pat's striped shirt. The Lord had impressed on him that he was to do something he'd never done in the show before—something Pat deemed impossible. He was sure God was telling him to not put harnesses on the horses. He was to work with them without restraints. The mere thought of it stretched his faith. When horses are worked as a team, they have straps that tie them together to keep them synchronized. Pat also used lead ropes, lines, and reins to cue and guide them. On top of all that, Pat had purchased these two horses last fall so he'd only worked with them for a few months. The horses barely knew each other. Pat prayed and went forward, confident God knew what He was doing.

The two black-and-white horses stood in the round pen with bareback pads buckled on and halters without lead ropes strapped on. No other equipment was in sight. Standing in the middle of the round pen with a long horse “cue stick,” Pat explained that he was doing something he'd never attempted. He was asking the horses to do their routine without hands-on guidance from him. He signaled to both horses
to move left and circle the arena next to the rails. Both horses moved out in a trot, Evangelist in the lead with Prophet following behind.

The microphone crackled as Pat announced, “Horses are a great example of unity. But they have to stay together and they have to work together to glorify the trainer. God's our trainer.” Pat used body language to ask one horse to slow down and the other one to speed up until they were side by side. They continued to trot in unison. Pat cued them to lope. “They have to stay focused on the trainer to keep him in the right perspective too.” The crowd eagerly watched the horses as they cantered in step with each other. Pat motioned for them to stop. Gracefully they slowed and stopped. The audience murmured with approval. Pat breathed a sigh of relief.

After setting up a jump for the next routine, Pat's heart pounded. He looked down at his cowboy boots as he prayed under his breath. He was going to ask the horses to lope around the ring and jump the timber in unison.
Will the horses stay together without anything tying them together?
They would have to
want
to stay together and have the
desire
to obey him so he could direct them. He'd never asked them to do this.
Will they stay focused on me?
As he prayed, he felt the peace of the Holy Spirit wash over him.

Pat focused on Evangelist and Prophet. Stepping toward the horses, he cued them to trot along the rails. In a few steps they joined up with each other. Side by side the horses stepped up to a lope. Their black-and-white striped manes and tails waved behind them emphasizing their unity while they kept their attention focused on Pat and each other.

Everyone was silent while watching the horses and listening to the rumble of their hooves striking the ground. As the horses neared the jump, they adjusted their stride but kept their bodies rocking forward and back in rhythm. The crowd leaned forward with anticipation. Pat held his breath. Flowing together in almost one motion, the horses brought their hind feet underneath them and launched over the timber in perfect unison.

Ripples of oohs and ahs came from the crowd. A wave of awe
descended on Pat. His eyes watered a bit as he announced, “That's a perfect example of what true unity looks like.”

As Pat was wrapping up the show, he felt led to do something extremely dangerous. He was sure God wanted him to stand on the backs of the horses with a foot on each one. Usually when he did this “Roman Riding,” the horses were tied together and Pat held their reins. Without the straps, Pat had no physical control over the horses. If they spooked or decided to do their own thing, he would be in trouble. He could easily lose his balance and fall beneath them and get trampled.

Pat used riding showmanship to show how people and animals can work together. Over the years, he'd watched a lot of trainers use force to control their horses. He'd witnessed similar situations in human relationships. The horses responded out of fear, which was usually the same reason people stayed in abusive situations. The trainers and abusers don't have the trust or hearts of their partners.

Today Pat hoped to show something special—the staying power of a heart-centered relationship. He took a deep breath as he silently prayed. After positioning the horses side by side, he stepped on a pedestal next to Prophet, swung his leg over the bareback pad, and settled in. He squeezed his legs and cued Evangelist to move next to him. Pat placed his hands on each side of Prophet's shoulders, thrust his weight forward, and stood up on the pad. Both horses continued to walk in step with each other. To stand on both horses, Pat shifted all his weight onto his left foot so he could swing his right leg over to Evangelist's back. When Pat did so, the saddle pad under his left foot slipped sideways. He lost his balance and fell between the horses.

The crowd gasped.

The horses, however, never flinched but instantly came to a halt.

Pat landed on his feet. He reassured the crowd he was all right. Then he quickly stripped off the saddle pads and moved the horses back to the starting point.

Pat's heart raced as he used the pedestal to get back on Prophet. Pat again stood on Prophet's back. Holding his breath, he swung his leg over and placed his right foot on Evangelist's back. Pat's spirit soared as
the horses stood perfectly still. Pat finished his message. “Whether we're a husband, or wife, or friends, we really need to keep Christ in the center of our relationships so they'll work smoothly and effectively.”

•
Prophet, Pat, and Evangelist
•

Evangelist and Prophet performed perfectly for the crowd because they wanted to please Pat. He'd captured their hearts and their trust. By watching and listening to Pat's cues, they constantly fine-tuned their timing, direction, and pacing to stay with each other. The unity between Pat and his horses reveals a secret to developing oneness with Christ and with each other.

First, it's essential to give our whole hearts to Christ and desire to do His will. Then God encourages us to develop unity with each other. “How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1)! The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Once we do that, God becomes our Guide who gently shows us where and how to go. He will give us cues to keep us from going off course and share His wisdom for handling problems. But we need to stay alert and pay attention so we won't miss any signals.

After Pat's performance, there were several lasting changes made in the small community. For weeks the people talked about his message and the miraculous horses that loved and trusted him. They understood that God wanted them to love and trust Him so they could work
together. God touched their hearts and worked through Pat's message to help them iron out conflicts.

But the biggest change was inside Pat's heart. He'd been willing to go out on a limb by listening to what God asked him to do—work the horses with no harnesses, reins, straps, or lead ropes. Then Pat had stepped out in faith to do what was possible only with God's help. Working in unity with God, Pat was blessed beyond his expectations. And the crowd was blessed to witness God at work in and through Pat and his horses.

Lord, show me how to live in unity with You and other believers. Amen.

•
Thoughts to Ponder
•

How has God been a gentle trainer directing you through life? How do you usually respond to Him? Have you given God your mind
and
heart?

38

THE SOLDIER

An Advocate

S
addles creaked as 24 men dressed in traditional 1870's blue cavalry uniforms, including tall black boots, stepped into the stirrups and slid into the old army saddles. Turning their horses, they left the lights of the barracks behind and rode into the semi-darkness of early morning. In the still air, hoofbeats rumbled the ground. Ted reached down and rubbed the neck of his horse before resting his forearm on the .45 Colt pistol he had strapped on his belt.

Ted's love of history had drawn him to ride in this reenactment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand. But it was more than history that drew him. When he was a young child, he loved standing next to his parents on the flag-lined main street of Morris, Minnesota, to honor the veterans on Memorial Day. The heroes in Ted's world were the men and women who agreed to stand in harm's way and, if need be, give up their lives to protect others.

In September 1966, Ted became one of those people again. He rejoined the active navy, and within a year he became a photo officer for the U.S. Navy inside Vietnam. In 1968, he was sent to document a Navy SEAL's burial at sea. Ted stood holding his camera aboard the deck of a naval ship in the China Sea. The sun glistened off the calm water as the ship stopped moving. The U.S. flag hung at half-mast and soldiers wearing dress white uniforms commenced the ceremony. The flag-draped coffin was placed on a wooden plank that extended at right angles to the ship. At the appropriate time, the plank was tilted. In silence, the casket-bearers held on to the flag as the casket grated down the plank and splashed into the sea. For a couple of seconds it floated,
but slowly it filled with water and sank. After the roar of the 21-gun salute and the sorrowful sound of Taps drifted away, only Ted's photos and grieving family and friends remained. The burial was etched deeply in Ted's memory, perhaps because most of the people for whom the navy man had died would never even know his name.