The HEALING POWER of TOUCH 

While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and she will live." And Jesus rose and followed him, with His disciples. 

And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, for she said to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will be made well." Jesus turned, and seeing her He said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.

And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, He said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him. But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

(Matthew 9: 18 - 27, ESV)

One of the most important tools I have when working with horses is the power of touch.  

I've owned and ridden horses for many years, and throughout that time I've learned that the "power of touch" can do miracles in changing the heart of even the most hardened renegade horses. Many years ago, I bought a quarter horse that had a lot of emotional baggage. I wasn't looking for a new horse to feed at the time, but on the other hand, I couldn't just look away either, especially when I knew what this horse needed most. He'd had many cruel and unscrupulous owners during his short life. He had also been passed down from auction to auction, and the only thing he knew about people was that they hurt him, time and again. As a result of being used and abused, his heart was hardened at an early age, and he trusted no one. Then, I entered his world.

"And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them."

(Mark 10: 16)

With nothing more than the power of my compassionate touch, and a strong desire to see him set free from his past, I helped to liberate this horse from many of his fears. This is a good place to point out that by no stretch of the imagination am I the tree-hugger type. I don't see horses as fairy-tale projects, or fantasize about "freeing them and riding off together into the wild, blue yonder" in a romanticized kind of way like you see in so many "made for teenage girls" horse movies. I also recognize that I can't save every horse. But I know I can save some of them. How do I know that? I know that because I understand the healing power of touch. And how did I come to understand this incredible power? I came to understand it first-hand through experience. You see, there was a time many years ago when I, too, was completely lost, full of fear, and angry at an unfair world. Then, one day, Jesus reached out and touched my life with His amazing grace. And I am no longer the same. 

Reach out and touch someone. 

Have you ever stopped to think why touch was so important to Jesus? I believe He could certainly have healed the sick, or done any of the miracles that He performed while on earth without physically touching people. And yet, Jesus chose to physically touch people time and again. People also wanted to touch Jesus. Consider the woman who had suffered from an issue of blood for twelve years. The Bible says that she came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His garment. To say the least, this was a bold act on her part. Yet, "she believed" that if she could at least touch the garment that Jesus was wearing, then she would be healed. Such was her faith. It's noteworthy that when Jesus felt someone touch His garment and turned to see the woman standing there, He did not admonish her for having put her faith in a simple touch of His clothes. Instead, Jesus told the woman that her faith had made her well. 

Never underestimate the healing power of God's touch and it's ability to save a life. The truth is, the life that is saved may be your own!

 As Christians, sometimes we have a tendency to underestimate the power of touch. Perhaps it's because we've become more comfortable with just saying a kind word, or performing a thoughtful gesture to express our care to others. Or perhaps we're better at quoting scripture at arms-length rather than expressing our compassion with a physical touch of our hand. And in some instances, these are the correct and proper responses. But not always.

Sometimes, the simple act of just reaching out and physically touching someone softly and gently on the hand says more about our compassionate concern for them than a thousand kind words could ever say, or a million good deeds could ever show. Every time we reach out and hold another person's hand who just needs some assurance, or each time we hug a friend who really needs to know that someone cares, or even when we softly caress the face of an animal who has only known cruelty from the hands of man, then we release the healing power of God's touch - a gift so miraculous that it can heal the heart completely, and make it whole again. 

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands."

(2 Timothy 1: 6, NIV)

MEET MY

GRAND-DOGGY,

IGGY!  

 OLD COWGIRLS

AND

HORSES

A blog/diary of my life with horses, and a few other adventures along the way.

I am usually in the saddle when the Lord inspires me with a message of what I am to write about for that week's newsletter.

 Sometimes people email and ask me how I come up with my newsletter topics. It's somewhat difficult to put into words, but I will give it a shot. I  am usually in the saddle when the Lord inspires me with a message of what I am to write about for that week's newsletter. I can be riding my horse, Samson, and suddenly a thought will come to mind. Sometimes those thoughts are something the Lord is impressing on my spirit that I know are for me personally. Other times, I will be riding, even busy working on specific horse training exercises, when a ministry idea will suddenly come to me, - almost as if someone dropped it directly into my head. Over the years, I've learned to recognize these special times when the Holy Spirit seizes the moment, and I know He is about to give me an important Word - a Word that I must share with you. 

 When it comes to my newsletters and specific ministry topics, I will often have a strong impression of not only the subject matter, but very clear thoughts on how to convey that message through visual demonstrations using my horse. Many times, I will walk out the "lesson" literally with my horse, making sure not only that I understand it correctly, but that I can convey the heart of the message. 

The next step takes place once I climb down out of the saddle, shake the dirt from my boots, and get back to my office. It's then that I take the Word the Lord gave me and attempt to get it down to just a few paragraphs for the newsletter without losing the heart of the message, - a challenge, o say the least. Then I must climb back in the saddle and attempt to recapture those teachable moments with photographs that will visualize the lesson, and take you on the "faith ride" with me. When you think about it, it's a pretty amazing thing how God uses ordinary people like you and me to share His Word with the world. We don't all do it in the same way. But that's alright. We are all on the same team. It is Christ at work in us, and I, for one, remain humble and grateful to just be a part of the team that is sharing the good news with the world. 

     Q & A

Each month I receive emails filled with interesting and great questions. In this segment of our newsletter, I will share some of the special emails I've received. All names have been changed

to protect the individual's privacy. 

Hi Susan - I am a horse owner and a California native and so happy that someone forwarded me one of your newsletters a year ago. After reading that first newsletter I was instantly hooked and signed right up to receive them. Since then you have never disappointed me with your ability not only to read the horse correctly but put into words what lesson I think God wants me to learn about him that week. By the way I also forward your newsletters to my horse friends and they love them too. I know it's probably a long way from where you live but if you are ever planning a trip to California please let me know. I would love to host a clinic for you and introduce you to all my horsey friends. We love God here in California and would love for you to come and share your amazing insights with us.

(Jane, California)   

My Response To Jane

 Hi right back at ya, Jane, and thanks for writing! Thank God for people who are willing to simply click a button and "forward" my emails to a friend. People often ask me how they can witness to other folks when perhaps they don't know the right words, or maybe they feel a bit shy or awkward about sharing their faith. There's never been an easier way to share the good news than through the internet. That's because oftentimes all the work has been done for you. All you have to do is be willing to click the button and share!

I've had some folks tell me that they are afraid of being rejected, and so they don't bother to click that forward button. The truth is, you are not being rejected. It's the message that people reject. So what? I say, buck up and learn to ride with faith! The entire internet gives people the freedom to accept or reject what they do or do not want to hear. I have learned to do the work of the Lord, and leave the results to Him. Above all, I'm not bothered when the world rejects my ministry. Remember, they rejected Christ, too.  I am just the messenger. There are times when I write a particularly strong message, such as the time I wrote on the subject, "The Bull Stops Here" (see Archives). I didn't mince too many words, particularly about the church sometimes trying too hard to be culturally current at the expense of watering down the Word. That week I had nearly a half-dozen people "unsubscribe" from my newsletter. I learned a valuable lesson from that. I must choose to be a God-pleaser or a people pleaser. We seldom, if ever, have the luxury of being both! I chose to stay strong in my convictions and minister the Word I'd been given, knowing that God would deal with the fall-out. The next week, twice the amount of people signed up for my newsletter. And we are continuing to grow every week. Praise God! 

As for coming to California to do a clinic - my heart is with you one hundred percent! Right now, I'm not presently scheduling any travel clinics, due to my other commitments and my work with our evangelistic ministry, 

Kim and Susan Klaudt World Ministries. But God willing, if and when I do load my horse on the trailer and hit the road again, you will be on my list for a top-notch, spirit-filled, one-of-a-kind Natural Horse Faith-Man-Ship clinic! Thanks again, Jane, for writing. I look forward to meeting you in the future, and hanging out with you and all your "horsey friends" in the beautiful California sunshine!      

Natural Horse

Faith-Man-Ship

(Teaching biblical faith using horses)

ARE YOU READY FOR THE FAITH RIDE OF

 YOUR LIFE?  

To Learn More... 

WRITE or EMAIL

Susan Klaudt Horse Ministry

P. O. Box 4994

Cleveland, TN 37320

or  

ksworldmin@aol.com