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I was my mom's only daughter, and I knew I was treasured right from the beginning. Why? For my mom, getting pregnant wasn't the problem, but staying pregnant was. Finally, after miscarrying several times, mom and dad conceived me. It was the early 50's, and back then ultrasounds we'ren't heard of. As a result, mom didn't know if she was carrying a boy or a girl. The doctor knew how much this pregnancy meant to mom, and he was overjoyed that she had made it past what he referred to as "the most dangerous months". In an effort to encourage her, the doctor stated emphatically, "Well, I would venture to say that you are having a boy!" My mom was astonished that he could know such a thing. "And how do you know that it's a boy?" she asked. "That's easy," he said, "this one's a fighter with a lot of heart and try." A few months later, I announced my entry into the world with tiny, clinched fists, and a loud, piercing cry that could be heard throughout the halls of the small, brick hospital. As the nurse bundled me up and placed me in my mother's arms, my mom couldn't resist the temptation to correct the prejudiced doctor. With a smile on her face, she stated, "Sorry, doctor, but it turns out my little fighter is a girl." The doctor quickly responded with a chuckle, "Yes, but she is full of heart and try. And one correct guess out of two ain't bad!"
Heart And Try Will Get You
A Lot Further Than Talent.
Some horses have more heart than others!
Let's talk about horses for a moment before we bring this message on home. When I look at a horse, the first thing I look at is not his natural ability (giftings) or talent. Why? A horse can have all the natural ability and talent in the world and still not have the "want-to" to fulfill the purpose you have in mind for him And what do I mean by "want-to"? I mean the desire to do one's best, give it all you've got, go the extra mile, keep-on-keeping-on even when every one else is ready to quit. I'm talking, in essence, about heart and try! Some horses (and even people) are born with lots of heart and try. Others seem to have an abundance of natural ability and/or talent, and yet, they don't have much heart and try. Of course, the best of both worlds is natural ability and talent plus a whole lot of heart and try! Let's go a little further...
The more you understand about horses and their different horsenalities, the easier it is to discern which horse has real heart and try. Natural ability and talent are pretty easy to spot. But it's not so easy to detect heart and try. To detect that, you have to look much deeper. Unfortunately, the problem with lots of folks is that they tend to make mistakes when picking out a horse. Why? They don't often look deep enough! I don't mean to be sexist, or offend my sister-hood, but this sometimes happens with women, especially if they are purchasing their first horse. Why? Sometimes (certainly not always, but sometimes) us gals have a tendency to entertain romanticized ideas about horses, and/or horse partnership. Having said that - let me get the beam out of my own eye before trying to get the splinter out of yours! I have been guilty of this, too, in the past. And I can tell you first-hand, it's a recipe for disappointment, if not down-right disaster! That's why I always tell women who are looking to buy their first horse, "Don't pick out a horse like you would a boyfriend or husband!"
Okay, I know that kind of advice sounds silly, and it's always good for a chuckle, but I've seen it happen again and again. The same person who often picks out "lousy" boyfriend or husband material often picks out lousy horses! Okay, maybe lousy is too harsh a word, and I'm sure it's certainly politically incorrect in some way. So, let me simply re-phrase my sentiments, lest I offend! Suffice to say, some folks just seem to have an attraction for fixer-upper's, or worse yet, dangerous partnerships. While a person might get out with their life intact when dealing with a mismatched human partner, one might not be so fortunate when dealing with a mismatched horse. Moral of this lesson? Find the horse that matches the best in you. As for me, I'm pretty average when it comes to gifts and talents, but I was born with a whole lot of heart and try. As a consequence, that's what I look for in my horses. If I have a horse with a lot of heart and try, then there's nothing that we can't accomplish together!
When God Examines You,
He Looks At Your Heart, And
He Quickly Finds Out Who
Has Hold Of the Reins!
Want to know if a horse's heart is toward you?
Take hold of the reins and he will quickly tell
you the answer!
Have you ever wondered why God looks at our heart first and foremost, and not out our gifts and talents? The reason is, nothing else about you and me is a stronger indicator of who we really are than what we bear in our heart. Psalm 26: 2 (see above scripture at top of newsletter) was written by King David. He emphatically implored God to examine him and "prove" him. To "prove" means to ascertain genuineness or validity; to establish as being the truth, reality, and fact. Wow, what a bold request for David to make of God! Can any of us imagine asking God to examine our heart with such confidence? Just like David, we can, but only if we know that upon examination by an all-seeing eye, we will pass the test!
The second part of David's request was for God to "try my reins and my heart". What did he mean by that? Again, let's look at the horse for a visual answer. Whenever I put a bridle on my horse and a bit in his mouth, I attach a set of reins to the bit's mouthpiece. As I hold the reins in my hands, I do so in order to control the direction my horse goes. If my horse is disrespectful by fighting the reins, or if he tries to "run through my hands" as I attempt to direct him, then he is attempting to take away my power and my control. David understood that his willingness to allow God to freely direct the reins of his life was in direct proportion to the genuineness and validity of his heart towards God. This is why David could boldly say, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me"! You see, David knew that when God examined him, he would find a man after his own heart - a man full of heart and try!
UPDATE ON SAMSON
In our last newsletter, I shared this picture
of my equine ministry partner, Samson, being
scoped for a persistent cough and intermittent
labored breathing in November at U.T. Veterinary Hospital in Knoxville, TN.
(See Archives, Title - Are You Proactive Or Reactive,
November 23, 2015)
Samson's newest dilemma in December - a long,
deep cut on his back, right leg, and near the hoof.
There's only one thing I dislike more than cold
weather, and that's having to clean, sterilize, and bandage my horse's leg in 29 degree weather.
Thank God, my horse and I both have a lot of
heart and try!
I've owned a lot of horses over the decades (since the 70's). That's enough horse flesh and enough years to learn that second only to a good saddle is a well-stocked tack room full of betadine, topical antiseptics, gauze, vet-wrap, and masking tape! As I shared in our last newsletter about my ministry horse, Samson, - we've been partners for a long time. And in all that time, he's never been sick, or injured, a day in his life. Forget knocking on wood, I'm praising God! But perhaps all those years with no problems is partly what makes it all seem so strange now. First, the sudden onset of a persistent cough and labored breathing (November), and now, a deep and potentially serious cut on his leg (December). Stranger still, it all remains a mystery as to the cause. After a few days of being heartbroken over my best horse, and then a few more days being puzzled as to "why now and why him?", I realized it was time to get serious and down to the business at hand. This uninvited war had come to us, and now we must fight to win it - even if we must win it one battle at a time!
So far, Samson's cough is being reduced, and his breathing is less labored than it was. I've taken him completely off pasture for now, just in case the culprit is allergy related (having to do with something in the field), and we are seeing some improvement. I've also put him on several natural supplements known to have medicinal properties that help with breathing. As for the deep cut on his leg, Samson has received two powerful doses of antibiotic via needle syringe to ward off possible infection. Also, per the vet's advice, I'm keeping the wound clean, treating it daily with polysporin (and intermittent Vetrycin), and keeping it wrapped in a sterile bandage. It's interesting to note that when a horse's leg is cut low near the hoof, the vet will generally choose not to attempt sutures. The reason is that the horse is continually flexing and bending at that junction, which can cause sutures/stitches to pop out or tear open. As a result, the best care is to keep the affected area clean and wrapped, with ocassional breathing time to open air, and simply wait while time heals the injury. Trust me, it's that "waiting" time that's tough! Meanwhile, I'm grateful to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers. Your emails have been a tremendous blessing and reminder that God is faithful, and He will see us through!
CHECK US OUT ON
YOUTUBE!
Be sure to click the video above for our newest "just for fun" YouTube Video with my equine ministry partner, Samson (pics and video from earlier this year). This video features the amazing vocals of my dear friend and minister, Ann Nicholson. Years ago, and before giving her life to Christ, Ann was a back-up vocalist for many secular artists, including Joe Cocker, and Leon Russell. In 2014, Ann recorded Leon's hit song, "A Song For You", especially for my birthday. Her amazing and soulful rendition of this song will bless you!
Want to take a ride on a champion western pleasure horse? Now, you can - thanks to Samson, and a GoPro Camera that puts you right in the saddle with me! Don't forget to check out my grandson, Zach, making a cameo appearance in the video. What a great sport he was to let Nana chase him around the arena that day! And special thanks once again to Tom and Ann Nicholson for their amazing musical talent. Together, they produced this video song titled "The Stranger" performed by the Praise Team, Church Alive, Cleveland, TN, and featured on the CD titled "Combustible Praise". Oh yeah, it also features the best guitarist in the world, my husband, Kim Klaudt, doing what he does best - playing that sanctified blues! You can check him out on YouTube, too!
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