Bumpy Ride

I had a riding lesson the other day.  It was freezing.  It was the day after the first real snow in BG (we had at least an inch there until the sun came up), so everyone was a little crazy.  Horses act like humans when the temperature changes; they kinda freak out like we do, as if we didn't know it was supposed to snow in December... anyway, the horse lesson...

I got to ride a new horse this past time (the horse isn't new, I just haven't ridden him before).  He's an arabian, and I knew that I previously hadn't enjoyed riding arabians, so already, before even getting on, I pretty much knew it would be a long lesson.  Great frame of mind right?

I get on, and he takes off.  Not like a bullet or anything, but a super fast walk.  The kind where you feel like you are being thrown around because the horse is moving so much.  Dang nab, it was uncomfortable!  I was trying to get him to relax and what not, but he was having none of it.

So we started to trot a bit.  For you non-horse people, it's a bouncy 2 beat gait that's kind of like a jog for us, up and down, which translates to you going up and down in a saddle, which already doesn't sound very pleasant to the rear end, right?  Well, like I said, he was already moving a lot, and the trot wasn't an exception.  He just didn't want to slow down.  Add a few quick turns, half canters, a few walks, plus the horse acting like it was a pretzel, folding itself basically in half, and it was quite the comedic show!

There is a point to all this, so bear with me.

The trot was going fast enough to be what is considered a "posting trot," which translates to the rider going in and out of the saddle in sync with the horse, which in turn makes it a bit more comfortable.  However, in the kind of showing I do, you aren't supposed to do that.  We get to stay uncomfortable with the hope that it becomes more comfortable with time (yes, we know that doesn't make sense...)

Thus, I sat the trot through the roughness.  Eventually, he calmed down and the trot got a bit better.  We went on to canter a bit, and it was fun.  We got to a pattern and he did amazing!  Flying lead change and everything! [fancy horse term you don't need to know].

The point of the whole thing is that God teaches things through everything that you do. Looking back on the lesson, it totally relates to my life.  That trot was mighty uncomfortable.  I knew that it would eventually become more comfortable, but at that given moment, it would have been much easier, and nicer on my derriere if I had started posting.  But, as I said, that's not what I was supposed to do.

Things in my life can be rough.  Plans go astray, details get left out, new things come up, things don't go how I want them to, the unexpected happen, other things like a friend bailing on you, someone walking out of your life, or people making you really mad. There are times where it would be so easy to just let go of my values and my beliefs and act in a way that is totally not how a child of God should act.  I mean, He is always right beside us, shouldn't we act with that knowledge in the foreground of our thoughts?  It's easy to choose the route that is less difficult even if it requires we lose our morals along the way, our beliefs.

But it's not what we should do.  Sometimes you just have to "cowboy up" (I apologize for the terms here, you'll just have to deal with it) and sit through the bumpy ride.  Jesus never said that following Him and His example would be easy.  He actually said it would be terribly difficult...

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

John 15:18-19

It's kind of a harsh statement.  We aren't home in this life.  Which, personally, I'm okay with.  The world's kind of crazy!  We have such an awesome thing waiting for us... an eternal gift.  But living for Christ isn't easy.  I cringe when I hear someone say that by accepting Christ, all your troubles will be over and life will be smooth sailing! Why would the devil ever make your life easy if you are not on his side?!?!  Anyway, things are going to get rough, and the enemy wants you to slip up and live a life that doesn't glorify Christ, but through His strength, and through the blessings that He gives us, we can make it through without losing sight of our beliefs.  And the cool thing is that He's right there to help us through it. 

Wow, so it's kind of preachy, but it's what God taught me this week, through a super bumpy trot.  

Just thought I'd share.