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Like a lot of kids, I grew up wanting a horse, but it took a cowboy sweetheart to make those dreams come true. I've often asked myself what it is about horses that affects me in such a profound way. I've never found the right words to describe it. All I know is that my love for horses has marked the course of my life in such a significant way that I cannot separate that love from the person I am. It is truly an affair of the heart.
I was in college the year I met Rusty. He was a real-deal cowboy with a bohemian spirit that attracted me like a moth to a flame. By night, Rusty sang and played guitar in honky-tonks and small road-side bars, and by day he broke colts and rode horses for a living. His hair was long in that cool, rebel kind of way, and he always wore spurs that clicked and jangled when he walked. Of course, Rusty didn't have much in the way of material possessions, but he sure had a lot of "heart and try". He tried hard to win my young and fickle heart, but he soon realized that strumming a six-string wasn't enough to get the job done. That's when he decided to buy me my first horse (a racking horse gelding) at a local auction for $200. What can I say? It was the early 70's, and horses were cheap. However, my love was not. I named my first beloved horse, Koko. Figuring he'd made a smart move, and perhaps found an in-road to my heart, Rusty then bought me a young black and white paint colt that I named Keoloni. Alas, as fate would have it, my affair with the cowboy didn't last, but my love affair with horses sure did!
MANY LOVES ON THE WAY
TO REAL LOVE
"Any old love will do until you experience real, unconditional love. Then, no other love will do."
(Susan Klaudt)
Me and the horse-love of my life, Samson.
I've owned and loved many horses over the years,
but none as deeply as Samson. Right from the
start, I knew he was going to be a "good-un"!
I've lost count of all the horses I've owned over the years. Some were what we call "good-uns", here in the south, and some, well, not so much. Back in the day, all I wanted was a horse. I didn't think much about the kind of relationship we would share. Instead, I thought more about the ride. As long as I didn't get bucked off more than once a month, I figured everything was good between us! It's amazing what a few decades of "living and learning" will do for ya! It's not a stretch to say that a few of those good horses along the way taught me a lot about life, the give and take, and all. But a few even taught me about love - real love. Samson was one of those horses. Nope, he wasn't my first horse, but he will always be the standard that every other horse in my future will have to live up to. Suffice to say, I think life is all about love. And once you've experienced real, unconditional love, nothing else will ever do.
REAL LOVE IS
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
(1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7, NIV)
Real love is unconditional love. It's something that is much deeper than a feel-good emotion. In fact, it is not an emotion at all. Real love is an action, an action that always proves the integrity and depth of one's own character.
When we read 1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7 (see above scripture), we're faced with a strange truth. Love has very little to do with our natural feelings. In fact, if we really believe that this scripture is a definition of love, it's easy to see that most of what we confess as being "real love" isn't really love at all. You see, real love is something that is much deeper than a feel-good emotion. In fact, real love isn't an emotion at all.
Real love is an action, an action that always proves the integrity and depth of one's own character. In other words, real love is a standard of action by which everything else in our life is judged. For all you cowboys and cowgirls looking for real love out there, and for those of you who think you've found it, that's a standard worth keeping in mind. It's also a standard worth keeping in mind no matter whom we profess to love, whether it is our father, mother, sister, brother, or friend. In a nutshell, how we act towards someone else is a pretty good barometer when it comes to measuring the truth about our love, and our character.
Right about now, I can hear Tina Turner saying, "What's love got to do with it?" When it comes to the affairs of the heart, absolutely everything! Let me give you my personal definition of real love. Real love is the complete abandonment of one's own pride, self, and ego for the sake and protection of another. Wow, sounds pretty selfless, right? Exactly. You see, love, real love, unconditional love - well, it's all about being "selfless". Okay, I know what you're thinking. This stuff about being selfless when it comes to love is gonna be a deal-breaker for a lot of folks. You're probably right! And it should be, especially for those who aren't in it for real love anyway. Having said that, is it even possible to be selfless when it comes to love? Isn't that being unrealistic? Sorry, but you'll have to take that subject up with God, and His Word. From what I read, He seems to think we're totally capable of selfless love with His help. Furthermore, that's the standard He holds us to!
So, got love? Here's the Godly standard for real, unconditional love. You can decide for yourself. Instead of being cruel and arrogant, real love is patient even to a fault, and kind even when feeling otherwise. Instead of bragging and boasting about being right, real love promotes the other person by honoring the sanctity of their shared relationship. Real love keeps it's anger in check, it never keeps a record of wrongs, and it never says, "I told you so". Ouch, that one gets me every time! And finally, real love is a covenant relationship that was meant to last forever. How do I know that? Real love always protects, it always trusts, it always hopes, and it always perseveres. That sounds a lot like forever. And yep, it sounds a lot like an affair of the heart to me.
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