One may not stop to think about how much a cowgirl (and cowboys too.) needs her God just as much as she needs her horse. Just being with horses as long as I have, it has really opened my eyes in terms of how much I need God to help keep me safe when I ride. Every time I ride I always wear a silver cross and my purity ring on a necklace. Then right before I begin my work with my horse I kneel down next to Daisy, take off my hat, put it over my heart, Daisy lowers her head to about my level and I say:
“Dear God, I know we seem so small down here, just Daisy and I, but I ask that you keep us safe during today’s ride. Give Daisy wings to fly and grant me the gift of balance to stay on. Don’t let us work to hard, but let us do a job well done. I love you God, Amen!”
Strange I know, but it seems like every time I either forget my necklace or forget to pray, something goes wrong. I remember one day when I first started with Daisy and I forgot my necklace. That day Daisy bit me and threw me about five feet to the metal fence. My head hit the fence. My body fell to the hard dirt floor. I kind of blacked out for a moment and felt the lead rope barely tugging my hand. I opened my eyes to a very alert, concerned horse and to a mom saying “just make her run.” I just bucked up like I had been taught many years and went right back to work as usual. I kind of took it as a sign of sorts. Since then after wearing my necklace and praying, nothing bad has ever happened to me while I ride. That I am thankful for. Some may call it pure luck, maybe even chance. I say it was my cousin and grandpa keeping me safe in heaven. As best quoted by Trent Wilmon in the song, “ There is a God”, “Science says it's all just circumstance. Like this whole worlds just an accident but if you want to shoot that theory down, just take a look around.”
Every time I ride I feel like I am one step closer to heaven. I call it my personal heaven. When I ride, I am really free. People have asked me before, how can you believe in something that doesn’t exist? My answer to that is if you keep you heart and life closed from God, then he doesn’t exist, but if you open your heart and your life to God, then he is everywhere. From something as tiny as a mouse to as big as the tallest mountain peak. Then there is always the argument about how science is always right. I say that God made those scientific answers. Not to mention science cannot explain the unexplained like God can. I ask you, how does science explain miracles?
Probably one of the greatest miracles I have ever seen was with what happened with my cousin Sophie. I have babysat Sophie since she was three weeks old. We have a bond so strong that she is like my little sister. The night before Sophie was born I remember having the strong urge to pray for her. So I did. When she was born her shoulder got caught on her mom’s pelvic bone. The doctor had to jump on top of her mom’s belly in order to save her life. It wasn’t till about a year later that they would find out the extend of how bad it could have been. Sophie went in for her one year old checkup a joyful, bouncing, talking one year old. Her mom said that as soon as they came in the doctor’s jaw dropped. He said that with how much oxygen she lost he was sure that she had over a 50% chance of being mentally retarded, have shoulder problems or die before she would reach one. She came out normal and with a clean bill of health. I remember when they told my mom and I that. I started crying because we came so close to losing this little girl that I would give my life for. Now Sophie is a still happy, still bouncy, always talking three year old. I just thank God she is just as horse crazy as I am.
I will honestly admit though, it takes a lot for a person to submit to God’s grace. It was not until about five or so years ago that I really accepted God and trusted him. To me, submitting to certain things like love, I feel very vulnerable and guard my heart so I don’t get hurt. Being raised Catholic, back then I believed in God, but never really “saw” his work, I hated going to church and more. But now I can see God’s great work every day and I now view church like my third home, next to grandma’s house and the barn.
I am probably stepping on a few toes writing this, but God is what made us and I quite frankly think that we need to remember that. So to end on a high note here is one of my favorite prayers that just seems to fit.
The Lord is my Shepherd
(psalm 23)
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pasture,
He leadeth me beside still waters, he restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
“Dear God, I know we seem so small down here, just Daisy and I, but I ask that you keep us safe during today’s ride. Give Daisy wings to fly and grant me the gift of balance to stay on. Don’t let us work to hard, but let us do a job well done. I love you God, Amen!”
Strange I know, but it seems like every time I either forget my necklace or forget to pray, something goes wrong. I remember one day when I first started with Daisy and I forgot my necklace. That day Daisy bit me and threw me about five feet to the metal fence. My head hit the fence. My body fell to the hard dirt floor. I kind of blacked out for a moment and felt the lead rope barely tugging my hand. I opened my eyes to a very alert, concerned horse and to a mom saying “just make her run.” I just bucked up like I had been taught many years and went right back to work as usual. I kind of took it as a sign of sorts. Since then after wearing my necklace and praying, nothing bad has ever happened to me while I ride. That I am thankful for. Some may call it pure luck, maybe even chance. I say it was my cousin and grandpa keeping me safe in heaven. As best quoted by Trent Wilmon in the song, “ There is a God”, “Science says it's all just circumstance. Like this whole worlds just an accident but if you want to shoot that theory down, just take a look around.”
Every time I ride I feel like I am one step closer to heaven. I call it my personal heaven. When I ride, I am really free. People have asked me before, how can you believe in something that doesn’t exist? My answer to that is if you keep you heart and life closed from God, then he doesn’t exist, but if you open your heart and your life to God, then he is everywhere. From something as tiny as a mouse to as big as the tallest mountain peak. Then there is always the argument about how science is always right. I say that God made those scientific answers. Not to mention science cannot explain the unexplained like God can. I ask you, how does science explain miracles?
Probably one of the greatest miracles I have ever seen was with what happened with my cousin Sophie. I have babysat Sophie since she was three weeks old. We have a bond so strong that she is like my little sister. The night before Sophie was born I remember having the strong urge to pray for her. So I did. When she was born her shoulder got caught on her mom’s pelvic bone. The doctor had to jump on top of her mom’s belly in order to save her life. It wasn’t till about a year later that they would find out the extend of how bad it could have been. Sophie went in for her one year old checkup a joyful, bouncing, talking one year old. Her mom said that as soon as they came in the doctor’s jaw dropped. He said that with how much oxygen she lost he was sure that she had over a 50% chance of being mentally retarded, have shoulder problems or die before she would reach one. She came out normal and with a clean bill of health. I remember when they told my mom and I that. I started crying because we came so close to losing this little girl that I would give my life for. Now Sophie is a still happy, still bouncy, always talking three year old. I just thank God she is just as horse crazy as I am.
I will honestly admit though, it takes a lot for a person to submit to God’s grace. It was not until about five or so years ago that I really accepted God and trusted him. To me, submitting to certain things like love, I feel very vulnerable and guard my heart so I don’t get hurt. Being raised Catholic, back then I believed in God, but never really “saw” his work, I hated going to church and more. But now I can see God’s great work every day and I now view church like my third home, next to grandma’s house and the barn.
I am probably stepping on a few toes writing this, but God is what made us and I quite frankly think that we need to remember that. So to end on a high note here is one of my favorite prayers that just seems to fit.
The Lord is my Shepherd
(psalm 23)
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pasture,
He leadeth me beside still waters, he restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
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