Back in Cusco, a group of us decided to go horseback riding. Scot talked about this adventure, but I wasn’t with his group of men. I decided that I’d give him some man time, so I left earlier with a group of girls. There were 8 of us in all (ok, there were 2 guys who wanted to head out earlier) and we left at 1 pm to get to the ranch.
After a little bit of a taxi mishap, my car ended up at the ranch. We walked into a muddy area and saw a man with a reed “shoo-ing” the horses down the hill. Then they asked who had experience. Well, for most of the girls this was their first time riding ever. So I raised my hand. And they led me to a shorter white horse, aptly named Napoleon. Apparently, he had some issues being submissive.
As we rode, we realized that this adventure was unlike that of an American riding experience. In the US, the horses automaticaly fall in place, each horse knows who they follow. In Cusco, the horses like to jockey for position. And for the inexperienced riders, this made the time a little more stressful. Little did I realize, that my sister-in-law’s riding tips would come in handy. My little firecracker was under control the whole time, and I even got a little trot out of him when I asked him to do it. (By ask I mean a swift heel to the ribs.)
However, not all of the horses liked to follow, and by the end, a few were bucking and kicking their neighbors. Steph’s horse got the brunt of most of the other horse’s anger. Fortunately, steph wasn’t hurt in the process. But, my little Napolean, as stubborn as he was, managed to stay out of the fray. I remained at the back of the line to stay out of harms way.
And so as I reflect on that time, I realize how much I’ve grown, even with learning how to ride a horse. That the confidence I have on a saddle is fairly newfound. And as I look back on my life as a Christian, this is probably the first time in my life that I’m confident to share my faith with others. The confidence I have, is the confidence God has given me. Whether, I share with people during a time of prescribed ministry, or an impromptu bathroom talk. (Yes, I had a conversation about Jesus in the bathroom line at the airport.) I’m not afraid to get bucked off, moreso because God has given me more tips to help navigate through life.
Does it mean I’ll never get bucked off? I probably will, but when you fall off the saddle, you’d better get back on quickly, or you won’t get back on.
