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Posts tagged ‘Horses’

Hemmed in on Every Side

           If there was a photo or video, one of them might have captured the sheer hopelessness of the situation.  But the fear that surged through my body, partnered with regret, and an onslaught of guilt, could never be caught on camera.

          We had just gone to bed when the phone rang with news that flash flooding we thought would miss our area had, in fact, turned its destructive face toward us.  Through the pounding rain, we jumped in our truck and drove a mile and a half, cautiously crossing an area of flooding we had never seen before, in order to reach the pasture where we keep horses and donkeys. Massive lakes of water filled the normally dry land on both sides of the road.  We could barely see it in the dark and yet there was a strong unmistakable sense of its looming presence.  The roar of the creeks, out of their banks and feeding this natural disaster, was louder than my frantic pleas and prayers to our Almighty God.  “O God, the rain has to stop!  O Lord God, save my babies.  O, Father tell us what to do.”

            There was no place to pull over so we drove a few miles, desperately searching for an area without flood water that was large enough to turn around.  It was dark and desolate.  But it was then I felt a calming peace that made no sense under the circumstances. We parked in the middle of the road and my husband got out to shine a flashlight.  Allowing my fear to then override the peace I felt, I couldn’t imagine how the horses would have possibly survived.  There was just too much water.  But there they were… huddled together chest deep…forced up against two locked gates…with our little donkey’s head barely above water.  Our boss mare, an old Palomino, turned to look at us with pleading eyes, while our little donkey cried out to us… and I cried harder.

          I know 911 is for human emergencies but we didn’t know what else to do.  The operator was gentle and kind.  And then a deputy, already passing our way, stopped just long enough to tell us they were going to help, but they had others who needed them first.  We understood and were grateful.  Their willingness giving us hope.

Horse RescueThe landowner was the next one to stop.  As much as we wanted the horses free, we pleaded with him not to attempt it alone.  As the rain began to back off and the water considered receding, the rescuers returned, tied ropes around him, and he waded through the rushing waters to unlock the gates.  Our horses, led by the oldest and lowest in the herd, muscled their way across the rapid water and walked calmly and peacefully through the flashing blue lights illuminating the road already blocked and ready for them to crossover.Horse rescue 2

          And, just like that… hemmed in on every side…chest deep and neck deep… in an instant, they were free and walking out on dry ground.

          The image of the Israelites approaching The Red Sea, hemmed in on every side, with God as their only hope, came quickly to mind once we were safe.  It’s not just our horses, in an unexpected flash flood, that poses a threat.  We are often hemmed in by other circumstances.  Sometimes it’s finances.  Sometimes it’s deadlines on work projects we need to deliver.  There have been lawsuits in our lives that sought to destroy us.  Sickness, injury, and accidents encircling us and setting their traps.  And yet, there is God.

          I like to stay closely connected but when the sun is shining, there’s money in the bank, all the deadlines have been met, and no one is being nasty, I figure God will understand if I get back with him a little later.  I have things to do and life gets busy.  But, let me get hemmed in on every side and you will hear me cry out to the Lord with a loud and proud pleading voice.  I am a Daughter of the Most High King, he knows my name, he knows the sound of my voice, and he comes to my rescue!  Not because of who I am, but because of who he is.

          This morning, our son suggested I pray and ask God to give me peace from the memories of that night. It’s been almost two weeks and I confess I still see each image way too vividly.  But there are even more reasons why I need to pray.  The Red Sea of our circumstances will threaten us again.  As Jesus told us, in this life we will have trouble.  So, my mind returns to the Israelites looking for an analogy…hoping for an example…recognizing their manna only lasted for one day.  And I know, like them, I will cry out again.

What has you hemmed in?

Finances? Family? Friends? Your job? A substance?  An addiction? A betrayal?

Maybe it’s the pressure to perform, maintaining multiple social media accounts.

What are the circumstances that threaten to destroy all that you hold dear?

 

The very next Bible verse in my prayer journal, following the flood,
 was Isaiah 43:1-2.  What are the odds, really?

 “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are Mine.  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

And, then, the next morning from

Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” Devotional, I read:

“On darker days, My Peace stands out in sharp contrast to your circumstances. 

See times of darkness as opportunities for My Light to shine in transcendent splendor.

 I am training you to practice Peace that overpowers darkness. 

Collaborate with Me in this training. 

Do not grow weary and lose heart.”

Rescue 7

          This was the fourth flood since Christmas 2017; so losing heart was certainly up for consideration…not just for me, but also for my family and our horse friends.  They stood with us in the darkness stunned by the magnitude of what they were seeing.  Saddened by the damage they saw yet again.  

It might be easier to give up than to keep fighting to repair gates and fencing after each flood.  But we can never give up loving these amazing horses.  Five of the eight are rescues and all have brought joy to countless numbers of visitors. 

The chains have been broken, the shackles released, the horses are temporarily on higher ground and like the Israelites we will move forward toward The Promised Land!Rainbow

The road where we turned around that night, we later learned, was the same place a mother trying to move her SUV to higher ground was swept off a bridge and could not be rescued.  I’ve cried for her and her family many times since that night.  I don’t know why things happen the way they do,  but I believe in an all knowing, all caring, all loving Sovereign God.  May He have great mercy on her family and be especially close to the broken-hearted.

© Copyright 2019, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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Trust me Moses!

          Sometimes, trust is the only thing that stands between us, and the life we were meant to live.  Or a stubborn streak keeps us from seeing what God has for us. Even worse, rebellion blocks our view, when what is waiting for us is not only what we need, but what we want.Moses happy herd

          We just fought our way through three days in a desert of distrust…Moses and me…my dad…the owners of Sycamore Valley Ranch, a couple of friends, a new vet, a vet tech, a fellow boarder and then there were the well-wishers and YouTube trainers…and count on it, this “horse tale” will preach!

          It all started with an opportunity to move our horses closer to home. The decision to leave an Moses Ranchamazing ranch was difficult enough, without Moses making the most of every opportunity to stay.  But, divine encounters, are often unexpected…and interruptions, in our normal routines, almost always tell us more about ourselves than our momentary circumstances ever could.

          Moses has never had trailer trouble, as far as we know. When we went to get our foster horse, on a cold and rainy day in March, he was Moses on trailer 2ready for a ride. So it never even occurred to us what we were going to encounter, or how his resistance would cause us to question the bigger message in the mess. Much like his namesake, our Moses did not react the same way twice.

          In Exodus 17, God told the original Moses to “strike” a rock in order to get water. And, he did. But, flip over to Numbers 20 when God tells Moses to “speak” to the rock and, we find out, he didn’t. His willful disobedience was one of the worst things that could have happened to him. Continue into the book of Deuteronomy and we discover that Moses got to see The Promised Land, but he never got to put his foot in it. Forty years in the desert and a lack of trust, stubbornness, or all out rebellion kept his feet firmly planted in the wilderness.


And that brings us back to our Moses. His feet were planted right outside the horse trailer where I threatened many times to leave him. He had watched his brother, Gideon, get on the trailer and head for Moses and trailerhome. Shadow, Star and Judah all jumped right on. But, Moses, well, he was having none of it. If you’re a horse person, I can almost hear you saying, “I’ve never seen a horse I couldn’t load onto a trailer.” We had those same discussions. Pressure/release, endless lunging, Join Up, small trailer, large trailer, withholding and reward, making the wrong thing hard, the right thing easy, and I could keep going. It didn’t work with Moses. His mind was made up. Despite visual signs of depression, due to being separated from his herd, he wouldn’t go.

          I don’t doubt there might have been some fear associated with the situation. My Dad jokes that Moses saw the others leave on the trailer and not come back, so he wasn’t about to get on and go. But, what I saw was an obstinate, determined, rebellious, willful, disobedient horse that is normally gentle, Moses defiantwell-mannered, and the first to meet you in the pasture. So, why would this happen? We all asked ourselves that more than once during the time it took to bring this bad boy back around to our way of thinking.

          And, yes, we prayed. We rebuked. We laid hands on his self-inflicted injuries. Rebellion can be very painful. In the end, God answered our prayers. Moses didn’t have a change of heart and hop on the trailer, like we all hoped. But, God did send a compassionate, caring, veterinarian to help us and to help Moses. How do we know God sent him? Well, maybe it’s because he just happened to be coming to see another horse at the exact time we ran out of strength, energy and determination.  The Doc offered to give Moses a small injection of sleepy meds, like they often use to load race horses, but even then, it still took six of us to hoist Moses’ 835-pound body up into the trailer.

          The medication wore off quickly.  Moses enjoyed a little “Scooby Snack” on his way home and, when Moses herd runninghe stepped off the trailer 35 minutes later… there was his family… his herd…running to meet him.

          So many times, during the stress, the frustration, the 90-degree heat, the “what are we going to do next” mode, we kept trying to tell him, “Moses, if you only knew what was waiting for you, you would go.”

          And, that’s where I think we are most of the time. We’re afraid to trust, so we just go with stubborn.  We put our feet down and refuse to budge when God is trying to lead us.  But, willful disobedience and rebellion have to be dealt with if we really want the best that God has for us. It’s so easy to plant our feet in a comfort zone, or fear what is out of sight, when, what is up ahead is so much better than anything we could ever obtain on our own. I suspect God also says to us, “If you only knew what was waiting for you, you would go.”

          I’ve heard two messages on endurance since all this happened and one message on how I need to trust. So, trust me, Moses, I’m wide-awake and listening!Moses in grass

Is there some area of your life you are refusing to surrender?

Do you feel afraid, stubborn or rebellious?

Moses on back

It’s okay, God is amazingly patient.

But, the sooner you come around to his way of thinking, the better off you will be!!

Just trust Him. 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. —Psalm 20:7

 

Trust in the lord and do good;

dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. —Psalm 37:3

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

© Copyright 2015, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserve

 

 

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“Hi, Friends!”

          The first ride of the day often starts with a horse sneezing on the back of our bare legs. It’s usually followed by horse hooves kicking hot sand a couple of feet in the air to stick and stay right below the back of our knees.  The grains of sand that aren’t picked HI Friends 7up like little hitchhikers jump in the back of our boots. Sweat is already seeping into our socks to join the water sloshed in there that morning while we were filling eight individual buckets. We’re about to take a test ride around the arena to see if we dare leave the safety of the sand and the security of the fencing.  And, it is now when the stress level slowly begins to creep its way up.  

          Children who sometimes boast of their riding skills realize they are still beginners. Those who have taken English lessons on a tight rein try to wrap their understanding around a Western trail horse that wants the freedom of its mouth. And while many kids ride for the very first time, thrilled with what is finally happening, others are in tears begging to be brought back down on solid ground.

          There are four of us. Two directors. Two counselors. There are 16 of them. Eight kids. Eight horses. We usually have 20-30 minutes to get all the kids on a horse, get them going in the same direction, get them to listen to us (the kids and the horses) and override each and every opportunity our equine friends find for mischief. You know the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”? Well, it’s true! It’s also bankable information that you can take well-trained horses, put them in random riding situations every hour for five hours, and see them react in ways that will either throw your heart into overdrive or melt it in one memorable moment. Our emotions, if monitored during one ride, would look like an electrocardiogram right before a heart attack. Hi Friends 8 copyThe intensity can be indescribable, while the satisfaction at the end of a good ride can be quite soothing. But, what is constant in our world of unknown equestrian circumstances is a greeting we often receive, if and when, we venture out of the arena onto the open trails.

          “Hi, friends!”  

          The young woman easily voted Counselor of the Year at our children’s farm day camp is so full of light that she helps all of us walk right out of the darkness. Just those two words, “Hi friends,” spoken in genuine kindness, sincere sweetness and a directness that makes you feel as if you are here among the best of friends…those two little words carry amazing power. HI friends 6 We see her, we hear her, and we know her heart for the children, the horses and us; and, with those words, our fear washes away, our stress is released, and even our legs, still gripping grains of sand, feel strong and determined to walk the road ahead.

          In a place where my words look for ways to join in the cacophony of complaints, Miranda chooses her words carefully.  She is quick to listen and slow to speak, and like Proverbs 12:18 tells us, her wise words bring healing.

          If asked about her life, I would have supposed she had an idyllic childhood. I would have further ventured to guess that she has been so much the center of someone’s attention, the art of making other people feel special, just came naturally to her. But what I’ve found out is that her life has not always been fairy tales and princesses.   She’s had some struggles along the way…she rises above them. Instead of focusing on herself and “what could have been,” what “might have been,” or what “she may have missed,” she looks out ahead of herself for the next face she’s about to see.

          During a recent late night dinner, a bunch of us were gathered around a table at a 24-Hour Steak and Shake. I was on the Hi Friends 2opposite end and wasn’t always privy to her conversations. The next day, I was told she engaged others in a way they had never experienced. Full on, eye-to-eye, completely engrossed in what they were saying and obviously, genuinely interested. Those who might have felt awkward, uncomfortable, or on the outside of the little group, were immediately put at ease, welcomed in, and not just made a part, but an important part of all that was happening.

          In a world war-torn by angry and aggressive words, where what we want to say often outweighs what others might care to contribute, she honors others above herself.

         Hi Friends It’s why we all wanted to spend time with her. It’s why the kids clung to her, crying, begging, and not wanting to leave even though it was time to board the buses.

          Sumer camp is over

          The horses are grazing gracefully in the pasture as if nothing ever happened.

          And, Miranda’s life is about to change. She’s on her way to a big exciting city to pursue a graduate degree in social work. She’s confessed her fears and little bouts of anxiety. Still, she knows not to worry about tomorrow, for God has promised tomorrow will take care of itself.

          Her wise words will bring healing in her new exciting city as they did at our dusty hot summer camp. Proverbs 13:2 tells us she will be blessed because of the words she chooses. Just those two words that wield such amazing power.

          “Hi, friends!”

Hi Friends 4

 © Copyright 2014, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserve

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Happiness, Inspirational, Love, Truth, Women

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GREAT Things Happen all at ONCE!

  Audio Version

     The cell phone rang when I was half way across town running a routine errand. “Our cousin is moving to Florida and he has two horses he wants to give away,” my aunt announced.  “He’s had offers, but he wants someone who will love them.”

     My heart pounded.  My mind raced.  And then just as quickly, I reasoned my way back to reality.

     “I don’t have a place to keep one horse,” I told her.  “I sure don’t have a place to keep two.”

     “Well then, find one,” she said matter-of-factly.  “And you’ll need to do it soon.  He’s already leased his land and needs to find a home for them by Saturday.”

     It was Monday.

     We hung up and I did what I always do when I don’t know what to do.  I called my husband and blurted out all she had said.

     “Go slow,” he warned.  “This could be God.”

     I had been praying for a horse for over 30 years.  I was so passionate and so determined to have one, I was even able to convince my “city husband” to buy a house out in the country.
I had spent the last year praying for a very specific horse I really couldn’t afford.

     “But God knows I want an Appaloosa,” I whined.

     “Well,” my husband responded, “Do you want what you want?  Or do you want what God wants for you?”

     “I WANT WHAT I WANT,” I said, somewhere between laughter and tears.

     “Then the best way to know if it’s God,” my husband encouraged, “is to take it one step at a time and see where the road leads.” 

     The fact that he didn’t think we were all crazy was the first step.  

     Monday night I called a stable close to our home.  It was full.  I called two other places.  No response.

     While all this was going on, my uncle had passed away, and we were preparing to leave town.  I had no idea where this cousin lived so I called to tell him we might not be able to come see the horses.  He told me he only lived about five minutes from the funeral home and if worked out for us, we could stop by after the visitation.  On the way there, we joked that they were probably going to be run down old farm nags, and we would have to politely decline. Of course, they were beautiful, healthy and happy to see us.

     When I REALLY don’t know what to do, I ask my dad.  He almost always gives me his opinion.  So I ran to him.  He  just laughed, hugged me and said it was up to me.  

     But it was starting to feel a lot like God.

     We came home Wednesday night after the funeral and I called the stable again.  Despite being full on Monday, they now had two openings.  It was even less expensive than I had imagined.  The horses would need tests and shots.  And this process, I was told, usually takes a week or more.  

     Thursday morning, a veterinarian agreed to see them and return the tests in 24 hours.

     We still needed a saddle because, no matter how pretty the horses were, I couldn’t bring them home without riding first.  I found a used saddle online but it was in another town.  I called my husband again.  No problem.  It just so happened, he was scheduled to do a presentation for work that afternoon, just a few miles away from where the people were selling the saddle.   I think I knew, before we
saw it, that the saddle would be perfect.  It even cost hundreds less than it was worth.

     There was still one thing I hadn’t thought much about… how to get the horses home.  Three people had told me they would be available with a trailer if this day ever came.  But none of them could do it.

     Little did I know, my stepmother was already online looking and had sent an email, earlier in the week, that for some strange reason I hadn’t seen.  It had the phone number of a man with a brand new horse trailer for rent, and it was on the way between our house and the horses.

     I had no control over anything that was happening and yet everything was in control.  It even seemed as if each detail had been meticulously planned out in advance.

      We got up early Saturday morning, stopped for a few horse supplies (one of the greatest shopping sprees ever) and off I went with the
three most important men in my life…my husband, my son and my dad.  
We took pictures every step of the way and we’ve told the story many times.  I share it with you now, because I am reminded, God wants to give us the desires of our hearts.  He sees us.  He knows us.  And even after 30 years of praying, some days begging, some days crying, never really understanding why I couldn’t have something I wanted so desperately, God had planned double for my trouble.  I wanted one horse, he gave me two.  His timing was perfect.  The stars were aligned and we were ready.  While I didn’t get an Appaloosa, we did get a Palomino, the horse my husband had dreamed of owning when he was a boy.

     Their names are Star and Judah.  It’s been one year since they joined our family and it is still so surreal.  Some days I just shout toward heaven, “Oh God, you gave me horses!!”  Because it is true, good things happen over time, but GREAT things happen all at once.  Don’t give up.  Keep praying.  Keep asking.  Keep believing.  He hears you.  He loves you.  He wants to bless you!

“Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

“But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart;

consider what great things he has done for you.”

1 Samuel 12:24

© Copyright 2012, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Three White Horses

          My Mamaw never had much money.  In fact, she and my Papaw
lived most of their lives without any modern conveniences.  But she loved to give.  She gave out of what she had, or she sacrificed even further, saving just enough, to make a difference in our lives.

          It’s interesting in a way to look back on all the gifts I’ve received over my lifetime.   I can only name a few of the expensive ones.  I can’t recall any of those given out of obligation.  But the ones I really remember are the ones that took some thought.

          It would have been easy for my Mamaw to explain to the family how she couldn’t afford Christmas gift giving.  We would have all understood.  And many times I’m sure we tried to convince her, in advance, not to get us anything.  We all had plenty.

          But it is the thought that counts.

          She was thinking of us, she loved us; she wanted to give to us.  So many times, “It’s the thought that counts” gets used as an excuse for why someone bought you a gift you didn’t want, didn’t need or couldn’t use.  Sometimes it’s an excuse for not giving a gift at all.  “Hey, sorry I didn’t get you anything, but isn’t it the thought that counts?”  Clearly not much thought goes into how that might make the other person feel.

          But it wasn’t that way for my Mamaw.

          One of the last Christmas gifts she gave me, before she died, was a set of three little white horses wrapped in tissue paper.  She knew me.

          I love horses.

          She also knew someone, somewhere, who was willing to give up the horses because my Mamaw didn’t buy them at an expensive store.  She bought them at a yard sale.  She didn’t have much money and they didn’t cost much.  But as she stood there looking at those three little white horses, she was thinking of me.

          I see them every day… and you know what?

          I always think of her.

  Who are you thinking of this Christmas?

Who will say, “She really knew me”?

 Who will look at a gift you have given and think of you?

 God is always thinking of us and He is the giver of all good things.

 Isaiah 49:16

 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands

 I’m the first to admit I often buy gifts out of obligation. But every now and then, I stop and take the time to really think it through…and every now and then, I get it right and God allows the gift to be a blessing.

May God bless each of you this Christmas.  

Enjoy the snow and I’ll see you next year as KeziahCarrie approaches her 1st birthday

February 2, 2012.

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved


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