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You're probably familiar with the saying, "ready, get set, go". But chances are, you're not as familiar with "ready, get set, and patiently wait". Why? Most of us are far more comfortable with going somewhere (anywhere) as opposed to waiting. Again, why? At least we feel like we're getting somewhere when we're moving our feet, even if we're only moving in circles! Waiting, on the other hand, takes patience. And sometimes patience is a hard lesson to learn. Just ask a horse who is full of energy and likes to do the river dance every chance he gets!
So, can we teach a horse to wait patiently (stand still until an exact cue is given)? Yes, but the problem is, not every horse wants to learn the lesson! Of course, it's the same with people. Let's be real, there's not much that can't be taught. The problem is, whether it's an animal or a human, we all must have a teachable spirit in order to learn anything. In other words, we have to be willing to learn. And therein lies the rub. Unfortunately, some folks can be as stubborn as a horse (or is that a mule?), especially when it comes to learnin' how to be patient! Speaking of horses, one of the most valuable lessons they have to learn is how to accept the saddle and rider. The second valuable lesson they have to learn is to patiently wait for the rider (their Master) to tell them (cue them) when it's actually time for the ride!
For those of you who are knowledgeable or perhaps handy with a horse, I have a question for you. Have you ever taken note of the fact that really good horse trainers don't try to force a colt to stand still when first teaching them to be saddled? Yeah, it's pretty nifty if a colt offers to stand still when saddled for the first time, and then walks off quietly. But the reality is, most of them buck a little, if not a lot. And why do they buck? The most obvious reason is that the colt has never felt anything strapped to his back before, and especially something that he can't run away from, or shake loose.
So, what does a good trainer do? A good trainer doesn't try to stop or inhibit a colt from bucking. He simply allows the colt to "come to terms" with the saddle on his back without coercion or punishment. But once the colt understands that the saddle is now "a part of his new life", then, as the saying goes, "the buck stops here". Or at least it should. I always consider a colt's first few bucks as a freeby while he's figuring things out, but bucking is not a behavior that has any place in his future. From this point on, it's all about partnership - mine and his. And partnership means that it's time for my horse to get ready, get set, and then patiently wait for me (his Master) to give him the cue to go!
LEARNING TO PATIENTLY WAIT
"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
(James 1: 4, NKJV)
It's crucial that my horse learns how to patiently wait on me (his Master) and not take one step forward until I ask him to. Hint for proper mounting: When you go to mount your horse, make sure his feet are square and balanced, and his head is tilted towards you. By keeping his head tilted, you can control his hind quarters if he should decide to move before you tell him to. If he should decide to move prematurely, he will only move in circles. Even a horse knows that's a waste of time and energy!
It's not often that we think about patience having its perfect work. Shoot, most of us think having patience is simply something that gets in the way of our "go, go, go"! Having said that, let's go back to horses for just a moment before we get down to the heart of this newsletter, and let's start with a question. Why is it really so important that a horse stands still when being mounted? It's important because mounting a horse (even a well-broke horse) is one of the most dangerous aspects of riding. Why? When a rider puts his/her foot in the stirrup, and then swings their other leg over the saddle - both of their feet are now completely off the ground and, hence, they are committed to the ride!
It should go without saying, if a horse will not stand patiently (all four of his feet standing still and square on the ground), and with his head yielded in the direction of the rider, then he's not ready for the ride. And if a horse proves he's not ready for the ride by doing the river dance (i.e. not waiting patiently for his rider to give the cue to go), then the rider should dismount immediately and take the horse back to groundwork basics. A horse that will not stand still and patiently wait for the rider to mount is not a broke horse. A broke horse will wait for his Master to give him the cue when, where, and how to move.
A fence (or anything that offers a barrier to forward motion) is a good tool to use when teaching a horse to patiently wait (stand still) while being mounted. Having your horse face a stationary or solid object helps block his forward motion, both physically and mentally. This allows him to get in a teachable "left-brain" frame of mind without trying to move ahead before you give him a cue to do so.
Of course, if you're a barrel racer, or enjoy the fun and excitement of team penning, learning to stand still or patiently wait may seem like an unlikely possibility for your horse, but it can be achieved without robbing him of his talent or need for speed. The need for speed and the discipline of patiently waiting do not have to be mutually exclusive! And yet, they often are. Because these are speed or timed events, over time they produce a conditioned response in the animal. The result is often a nervous or anxious horse that tends to over-anticipate what is about to happen, or what is to come. As a result, the horse has a tendency to "jump the gun". No matter what discipline a horse is used for, a horse that is always over-anticipating the rider's next move and keeps jumping the gun is a dangerous horse. Why? It's the horse that is in control, and not the rider! Now, let's talk about you and me, and the dangers of jumping the gun when it comes to God's plan for our life.
Stop Jumping The Gun,
and WAIT!
"Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; For you I wait all the day."
(Psalm 25: 5)
At this stage of the game, my horse knows that I am swinging my leg over his body, and I am now committed to the ride. He also knows that although I'm committed to the ride, I have not given him the cue to move forward at this point. His responsibility is to patiently wait and not jump the gun before I pull the trigger!
If there's anything we have in common with horses (and there's a lot), it's the common problem of jumping the gun in our life. Let's face it, patience may be a virtue, but it's a virtue that many of us have not fully cultivated, nor do we want to! After all, life is short, so let's get on with the plan, right? But what if the plan for our life is not just the fulfillment of our destiny, but the journey that takes place between here and getting there? Suffice to say, I'm a Tennessee redneck cowgirl at heart, and waxing "esoteric" about life isn't a trail I generally take, and yet, the older I get, the more I realize that the only thing that being in a hurry gets you in this life is "dead sooner"! Everything else is according to God's perfect timing, and in order for His perfect timing to be fulfilled in our life, well, you guessed it - we often have to patiently wait. So, what's the incentive for you and me to patiently wait upon the Lord? The incentive is knowing that when He gives us the "go ahead", we will receive the promise of our faith. But in order to receive the promise, we must first have faith for the wait.
YOU HAVE ENOUGH FAITH
FOR THE PROMISE -
BUT DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH
FAITH FOR THE WAIT?
I'm now in the saddle and have hold of the reins, but that is still not the cue for my horse to move off. I expect my horse to stand in a "ready, get set, and then patiently wait" posture until I give the word (cue) to move forward, even if that cue is a long time in coming.
Let's get personal. Having faith for God's promises has never been a problem for me. Talk about being born that way - when it comes to being ready for God's promises, I was born with my speedometer on "go"! Chances are, you feel the same way. That's because God has given us a measure of faith - faith to believe Him for every wonderful promise that He has given to us! So, why is it that we have faith for God's promises, but often lack enough faith for the wait (the time that lies between the promise and the fulfillment of the promise)? Ahhh, it all goes back to that troublesome word that keeps popping up - patience! The truth is, it doesn't take any patience to believe God for a wonderful promise. We're all up for that! But sometimes it takes a lot of patience to wait until that promise is fully manifested in our life. Why? Don't miss this truth - patience is the tool that God uses to cultivate His perfect work in you and me!
"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
(James 1: 4, NKJV)
Alright, let's get this pony rode and bring it on home now. When God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a promised child (Isaac), there was a wait. Of course, old Abe was probably okay with the wait, but Sarah was impatient and decided to take matters into her own hands. You know the story. In an effort to speed things up, Sarah told Abraham to sleep with her handmaiden, Hagar. I've got to believe that Sarah intuitively knew that idea was a bad one! Sure enough, that union brought forth a son named Ishmael. But Ishmael was not the promised child. The promised child, Isaac, would not be born until it was God's perfect time. No doubt, it was a tough lesson in patiently waiting, but one that Sarah evidently needed to learn.
And finally, there's the story of Moses and the Israelites. Although he was "called" by God, Moses was constantly having to rally the troops, so to speak, and remind them each day that God did, indeed, have a promised land for them. Because the Israelites continually griped, grumbled, and jumped the gun, not only was their journey prolonged (by about forty years), but most of them perished in the desert without fully realizing their destiny. It is a text-book case for the fact that we all have faith for God's promises, but only those who have faith for the wait will possess their promised land! What about you and me? Do we have faith for the promises that God has given us? You betcha' cowboy boots we do! So, get "ready, get set, and patiently wait". We will attain all of His promises, right on time, and right on cue!
CHECK OUT A FEW OF OUR
YOUTUBE VIDEOS!
Click the video above for our newest 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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