My Horse...

I went to see my horse the other day.
I hadn't seen Champ in a couple of months.
If you are a horse person, you know that this makes me a fair-weather friend, and a bad horse owner.
If you are not a horse person, you probably still agree with horrified "horse person's" everywhere who wonder how I could be so completely neglectful.
And ungrateful.

In all fairness I have a large number of excuses involving 100 PLUS degree temps, a new business, and a recent major surgery.
But, life's good things are often missed out on because of excellent excuses and realistic reasons.
And on this day, I decided to remedy that.

Even on the drive over to the barn where my horse is boarded, I found myself thinking of many other things I needed to accomplish that day.  I almost talked myself into putting it off to another day because laundry, dishes, homework, and a big salad were calling my name.  But something inside wouldn't allow me to change my mind and I continued on my path to spend time with my horse.

When I got there I dreaded catching him.  He hasn't always been the easiest horse to catch.  Generally when it's time to do the catching, Champ will play a little game of cat & mouse.  Peppermints are helpful in these frustrating moments, and I'm not one to fret over whether or not this makes him a bad horse and me an enabling owner.  I have enough guilt to deal with when I go months without visiting.

To my surprise, Champ was waiting at the fence for me.  He even walked through the gate with very little coaxing and allowed me to "catch" him without ever tasting a peppermint.
After giving Champ a thorough brushing, and a good talking to about how wonderful he is and how wretched I am, I wrapped my arms around him and surprisingly he didn't resist.  As a matter of fact, Champ nestled his head close to me and let me rub his forehead.  Something he very rarely does.

As I stood there,  breathing in the scent of him, stroking his new winter coat, and listening to him breath, I was   suddenly overwhelmed with how blessed I am.
I have a horse.
(I have to say that again because sometimes I can hardly believe it myself.)
I. Have. A. Horse.
He's all mine and he loves me.

Why do I ever complain about having nothing to do or needing more things in my life?
Isn't it absolutely and forever enough that God has seen fit to bless me with not only an incredible family, the opportunity to live in freedom, sooooo much more...and a horse?

And speaking of God, this is what I love about Him.
I love the way He places abilities, desires, and interests inside of us and then waits for us to discover them.
Wow. Think about that!! It will blow your mind with the excitement and possibilities!!
It reminds me of a treasure hunt or a surprise birthday party.
All of these dreams, talents, and purposes just waiting to be opened, nurtured, and developed!

I would have never in a million years imagined that I could ride a horse, let alone be good at it.
And I'm absolutely not bragging on my riding skills as they could definitely use some fine tuning.  I'm just saying that I was more surprised than anyone when I discovered inside of me, not only a desire to ride, but also the ability, and the passion to learn!

When I think about this, and when I'm running across a wide open field on my horse's back, I am amazed at God.
I am in love with His way of doing things and His passion for living.
There are so many things He has left undiscovered on this earth and in my life.
What an exciting prospect.

Life is a gift.
It is meant to be opened.
Explored.
Shared.
And enjoyed.

You may not know what your passions are today, but I guarantee you they are inside of you.
Each of us were made in the image of the Creator and He is filled with a love for life.
So much so that He was willing to sacrifice His so that we could enjoy ours.
And in my humble opinion, that makes for a God worth getting to know.

And a life worth living.