I thought it was just another adventure day on the Race. What I didn’t know is that God was going to use my horseback ride in Lesotho to teach me a lesson about trust.
Lindsay, Catherine, AnnaKate, and I all decided to go on a Valentines Day horseback ride. They are pretty cheap at the one lodge here, and we wanted to do something fun. We traveled the two miles to the lodge, signed up, and packed our saddle bags. We picked the trek to the waterfall. It is a three hour ride, a short hike, and some time to spend at the fall (which due to the drought is a trickle).
We signed our release forms, gave them our insurance information, put on our helmets and headed to the horses. Our guide Michael looked at us up and down before assigning us horses. He was obviously trying to guess our body weight before he placed us on the under fed creatures for the journey that lay ahead.
Unbenounced to all of us, this ride was going to be an adrenaline filled adventure. The “trail” was filled with lose rocks, boulders, slick granite, and cliff edges. All I could do when I was afraid was pray, trust the guide, and trust the horse that was underneath me.
I had to trust that this horse and this guide had done this many times before. That the guide knew how to lead us, and that the horse knew where to place her feet. What I realized was that the situation was out of my hands, I had to depend on the guide who knew where we were going. Even when I didn’t want to press forward, I had to trust that this is the correct path.
How much more so can God direct our lives? Why would I not trust the Creator who has done this before, and trekked this path? Why would I doubt Him, who not only created me but also knows the plans He has for me?
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own uwnderstanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
I think I finally understand the simplicity of this life. It is so much easier when we are trusting in Him. When we aren’t fighting to try and turn the ways we think are less scary, that actually end up being more treacherous. The ride back to the lodge was so much more enjoyable on the horse because I finally just decided that it was out of my hands. I finally realized that the horse and the guide knew more about this path than I did, and I should just enjoy the ride.
When we let God direct our paths He will get us to where we need to be safely. We can actually let go, be free, and just enjoy this life He has planned for us! We can see the little blessings He gives us, and know that it is from Him and not our own doing.
I memorized four new scriptures on this trek – and you guessed it – they all have to do with fear.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Lord has not given me a Spirit of Fear, but of Power, Love, and a half Sound Mind”
Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in Him.”
Psalm 63:1 “Oh God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, in this dry and weary land where there is no water.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future.”
Even though I was afraid, it was worth it. I came back so filled with faith and trust. Of course I was also burnt to a crisp, although by the end of it I trusted my horse enough to put sunscreen on while she drove. Who would have known that God could have taken away my control, and helped me grow through a horse back ride!
I seriously love this God of ours. I love every facet about Him. He is so patient with us, and so gentle! He also definitely has a sense of humor, oh how He teaches me.
