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THOSE TOUCH-ME-NOT SPOTS
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape!"
My touch (contact) means power. The more my horse understands this truth, the stronger he becomes.
NO TOUCH - NO POWER!
Are there any areas in your life that are "touch-me-not" spots when it comes to your relationship with God? When we don't allow the Lord to "touch" certain spots in our life, then we are rendered powerless. No touch - No power! That's the subject of this newsletter, but before I bring it on home to you and me, let's look at the horse. There's no better animal to teach us about the amazing power of touch!
According to Roget's Thesaurus, the word "touch" means "to make contact". One of the first things I do with my horse is establish touch (contact). Touch, by it's very nature, is intimate. It lets my horse know that I cherish him, and he belongs to me.
When making contact with my horse, I start from head to tail to see if he will allow me to touch every part of him. This will tell me what body parts he's withholding before I get in the saddle. It will also show me his weaknesses. I consider any part that I can't touch as a "dead spot". I want all of my horse to be alive to me. Make sense? Look at it this way. There should be no with-holding or resistance to my touch (contact) on his part. Remember - I own all of him. If I do find a "touch-me-not" spot, I desensitize that spot through repetition until he's comfortable with my touch/ownership.
 A horse's ears are frequently a "touch-me-not" spot. That's because a horse's sensitive ears are his window on the world. He uses them not only to warn the herd of impending danger, but to communicate, as well. Ears that are twitching back and forth, or laid back against the horse's head speak volumes. Second only to the horse's legs used for flight, the horse's ears are paramount when it comes to listening and keeping him safe. Perhaps that is why he has the instinctual desire to protect them from perceived predators. When my horse "gives" his ears to me, he is choosing to disregard his natural instinct, and put his full trust in me.
IF YOU RIDE,
YOU RIDE THE ENTIRE HORSE
Have you ever owned a horse that allows you to touch his muzzle, but not his ears? Or his head, but not his feet? Or maybe you can sit on his back, but you better not let your feet touch his sides. In essence, the horse is telling you, "You can have part of me, but not all of me." Anytime a horse has any touch-me-not spots, it's a complete deal-breaker for me. I won't ride a defensive horse - one that's trying to protect or keep certain body parts from my touch (contact). That's because when you ride, you're not just riding the "touchable" parts of the horse. You're riding the entire horse.
TO TOUCH OR NOT TO TOUCH - THAT IS THE QUESTION!
Think of it like this - your relationship with your horse cannot go beyond the level of touch (contact) he allows you to have with him. For example, if your horse will allow you to sit on his back, but he won't give you his feet, you're just along for the ride once you get in the saddle. And if you can only touch one side of his body but not the other, you only have control over half a horse. If you plan on a safe ride, you have to own the entire horse. And ownership requires that our horse be fully connected to us. And that means touch (contact) - and lots of it.
OWNERSHIP DEMANDS TOUCH
One of the first things I do after I buy a horse is establish ownership. Ownership is deeper than monetary purchasing power. Ownership demands that all of my horse belongs to me - that I be able to touch all of him. And by it's very nature, touch is an expression of intimacy. I don't allow my horse to have body parts that are off-limits to me. If he does have touch-me-not spots, we have to work through that before we go any further in our relationship. Why? Because I purchased the entire horse - not just a part of him. I don't climb in the saddle with a horse I can't touch everywhere - and I mean everywhere. Riding demands a special bond of intimacy between a horse and rider. And you can't have intimacy without freedom to touch.
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE GROUND (your groundwork) WILL ALWAYS PLAY OUT IN THE SADDLE
Not being able to touch a horse "everywhere and anywhere" should be unacceptable for any rider. Many years ago, I had several bad horse wrecks. Each time, I came flying off the front or the rear end of the horse, startling him even more when I accidently hit his touch-me-not spots. I hadn't done my homework, and I paid the price. Now I make sure my horse's are comfortable with my touch at both ends, and all points in between! Again, why? Because what does or does not happen on the ground (groundwork) will always play out in the saddle.
THE ART OF STAYING GENTLY PERSUASIVE AND CONSISTENTLY PERSISTENT.
When a horse withdraws from my touch, that's unacceptable behavior. But it's not punishable behavior. There's a difference. As the owner, I'm interested in building faith in my horse, not fear. My goal is to gain a partner, and not an enemy. I do that by being "gently persuasive" and "consistently persistent". Eventually, my horse learns to submit his entire body to me. And that feeling of trust is one of the most indescribable joys we can ever experience with our horse.
It's called Partnership.
IF YOU'RE OUT OF TOUCH -
YOU'RE OUT OF POWER!
"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bare fruit of itself except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing."
(John 15: 4 - 5)
Now that we've talked about "touch" (contact) from the horse's point of view, let's bring it on home to you and me. In John 15: 4 - 5, Jesus talks to us about the importance of abiding in Him. He also tells us that he is the vine (our source) and we are the branches. Branches are created to bear fruit. But in this scripture, Jesus tells us that a branch alone cannot bear fruit. It has to be "in touch or in contact" with the power source - the vine. If the branch is cut off from the vine, it will eventually wither and die.
The only time a branch has power is when it is connected to the vine. And connection means touch (contact).
Every source of power known to man is dependent upon the power of touch (contact). For example, if you want to experience the power of electricity, you have to touch or make contact with a switch. If you want to change TV stations, you have to touch or make contact with the remote pad. Touch is a powerful thing. In the same way, having "touch-me-not" spots in your life will render you powerless.
The Bible says that without Christ, we can do nothing. In other words, we're powerless without him. Perhaps someone might boast, "I don't know that I believe that. I've managed to do pretty good without God." Never forget - a branch that is cut off from the vine may survive for a day, but the moment it is cut off from it's source of life - it is already destined for death.
GOT TOUCH?
YOU'VE GOT POWER!
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