before starting the world race, i took horseback riding
lessons. i have always loved horses and this was my first opportunity to
actually pursue that love. i learned a LOT about myself (and horses) during this
time. i had to overcome some fears, learn how to read a horse, be patient with
myself (and the horse), listen and apply instruction, etc. it was an amazing
experience (and hopefully only the beginning).
one night, the Lord used my horseback riding experience to
illustrate some truth. it goes something like this….
since the beginning of the race i have had one consistent desire:
‘to fall into rhythm with the Lord.’ month after month i find myself in a new
land- new sights, new smells, new culture, new people, and new ministries.
every place requiring that i pause, sense how His Spirit is leading, and then
position myself accordingly. as i was thinking about this, i immediately had a
picture come to mind of a horse loping. there is a distinct rhythm when horse
and rider are loping. what creates the rhythm is the horses’ lead. the lead
is determined by the direction the horse is moving. if the horse is going right
then he leads with his right leg, if he goes left he leads with his left leg.
it is the same with the Lord. if He says go here, i go
there. if He says wait, i wait. sounds simple enough, right? not always.
and sometimes even horses get confused. they are going right
but leading with their left or vice versa. this is known as an incorrect lead.
when the horse has the incorrect lead, the rider can
actually feel it in his hips. the lope is “off rhythm.’ and it’s critical to
correct an incorrect lead. this correction is known as a lead change. lead changes are essential for improving the horse’s
athletic ability, speed, and agility. here is how you do it:
if the horse is in the
wrong lead, the rider shifts his/her weight to the side the horse is leading
with. if loping in a circle to the right, for example, the rider lifts the
horses head slightly to the left, to turn him away from the right turn just a
little, and then abruptly-without jerking the horse’s head-pulls him back to
the right and back into the right directional circle. the rider cues the horse
with some pressure from his/her right leg and foot (the horse should move away
from pressure).
throughout my 31 years, the Lord has lead me in several new
directions, beckoning me to fall into the rhythm of His heart. and there have
been SEVERAL times where He has had to do a lead change with me.
like i said earlier…it’s not always easy to follow where He
is leading. sometimes the sacrifice seems too great. sometimes i just flat out
don’t understand the ‘why’ or ‘how.’ and it can cause confusion. i can look
back at moments in my life where He has corrected me just like a rider corrects
a horse. the Lord is leading me right but i’m going left, so He briefly goes left
WITH me allowing me to follow my own lead. i call this grace. it’s in the
moments of grace that i recognize i’m out of step with the Lord. then He gently
guides me back towards the direction He is leading. in the same moment of His
gentle re-direction, He also presses into me. i feel uncomfortable but i
recognize this as Him disciplining me. it’s not a form of punishment that
causes shame. rather, it is pressure that moves me away from the things that
create distance between us and in return draws me nearer to Himself.
there is nothing sweeter than being in rhythm with my
Lord.
