I just recently got home from a trip I made to Yampa, Colorado to visit some friends. Before I left for the trip I was just let go from my Job of 4 years and had just applied for the World Race, not yet sure if I was going yet or not. So as you can imagine Trusting in the Lord was not just a good thing, but a necessity! When I arrived to my friends Ranch I was taken away by the beauty of God’s creation and the power shown through his strong mountains and gentle streams and flowing meadows. After arriving and taking a tour of the Ranch on 4 wheelers I noticed some horses running around! It sparked an interest in me, so I walked over to the horses and tried to pet one but was to afraid to touch it. I have had a fear of horses ever since I was little and have never really liked them. I have only ridden a horse once with someone else on with me when I was a child so I have no ridding experience. After my short encounter with the horse (Willie is his name) that evening, I went to bed thinking how cool it would feel to ride a horse, but that fear was still in the back of my head and held me back from trying. The next day in the evening after working on the Ranch my friends and I were sitting on the fences watching his sister and her friends ride the horses. I jokingly yelled at her when she rode by, “I want to ride that horse!”, (when really in the back of my head I was hoping and praying she would say, “not tonight!”) She looked at me and said ,Ok climb up on the fence and start kissing at him” , I was in shock and couldn’t believe I was going to jump on this horse, I looked at the horse and it had no saddle, so I asked her “how am I supposed to ride without a saddle?” She said “This is the perfect way to learn just jump on”, so shaking and nervously I climbed the gate of the fence and started kissing at this Horse asking it to let me ride it, within seconds the horse came to my call and positioned himself perfectly for me to slide onto him. Here I am now on a horse with no saddle holding on to its hair for dear life not knowing what to do, then Kimberly the owner of the horse came over and taught me how to steer the horse and ride forward and backwards, so then she had me practice by myself in the pen, then I came back and started to feel more confident in what I was doing and she said, “Ok its time to learn how to trot!”, I was very hesitant to proceed with this lesson I really wanted to get off and be done cause I was still scared of the horse and didn’t trust it. She told me “You need to stay on and build a relationship with him now so he will know how you ride and you will know how he rides so you can ride well together” so here we go, I DID IT!!!! we got up to a trot on the horse and I didn’t fall off (bareback non the less!) so I trotted back and forth, back and forth! when I came back to my trainer she said, “Ok Ryan, your doing really good and learning quick, you ready to run with him now?” , to this I firmly said “NO I’m ready to get off now!” so I got off the horse and tried to grasp what I had just conquered. when I went to bed that night I had a dream of ridding that horse fast through the meadows of that ranch and feeling so free, and I woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t stop thinking about that stupid horse, and how mad I was at myself for not learning to run with him.I felt like I had missed out on something great!
The next day was July 4th and we went into town to for the parade and festivities. Me and my friend Johnny where in town late and talking to and meeting all of his friends from growing up there. when it was time to go home, we walked outside and there coming down the street was Johnny’s sister with all the horses with her. The Horse I had rode the day before was in the group. It was about 230am late at night at this point and we needed to get home. I looked at Johnny and said “I feel like we are supposed to ride the horses home for some reason!” and I thought Johnny would tell me I’m an idiot. but instead he said “Lets do it dude!, why not?”
This time with a saddle I jump on to Willie and Johnny jumps onto another horse and we get ready to leave town to make the trek back to the ranch. I got very nervous and started to have second thoughts about ridding Willie home by myself and wanted to get off, at this point Kimberley showed up and jumped on the back of the horse with me and told me to go for it. Well I got cocky and thought I was going show her and the horse I knew what I was doing with my all of 30 mins. of ridding experience, well as I was showing how I knew how to turn the horse me and her both flew off the horse sideways and into a fence…both of us hanging from the fence…I immediately got back up and pulled her off the fence…we were both ok (except the bruise I had on my butt and back the next day the size of Texas)…so I fixed the saddle and jumped back on the horse…I waited for Kimberly to jump on to…and she told me “you got it now cowboy…you fail off and got right back on…you’ll be fine now!” so here we go…Johnny and I on our horses riding down the dirt road in town back to the ranch. At first the ride was very uneventful and slow (the way I wanted it)…then the horses went into trot mode and were picking up speed…Johnny and I both were pulling back on the reigns and yelling…”Whoa…easy boy!” over and over again, finally we got them to slow down. When we reached the road that led to the ranch it was soooo dark…I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t see Johnny and his horse any more even though I could hear them…in fact I couldn’t even see the head of my horse anymore it was soooo dark! So I yelled out to Johnny “Johnny I cant see where we are going and cant tell if we are even on the road and the horse keeps trying to take off!” then Johnny said to me…”Dude, relax and just look up!” I looked up and saw the most amazing starry night I have ever seen. there must have been a million stars that night and I felt like every last one was shinning brighter just for the moment well as I’m looking at the stars and relaxing on the horse and letting go of control, I hear Johnny’s horse pick up speed some and mine immediately after…I tried pulling back on my reigns and yelling “Whoa!!!! easy!!!! STOP!!!!!” but nothing worked…Johnny’s horse was doing the same thing. we were picking up speed .and FAST! I yelled at Johnny and said “My horse is trying to run and I feel like im going to fall off and I cant see where we are going im freaking out!!! what do I do!!!!?” …to this Johnny calmly says “Just don’t freak out…ride with it!”…I yell back “Its too late for that! I’m freaking out now!” at this point I remember an amazing calm came over me and became transformed in my stance on the horse me and the horse became as one and I started to trust it more and more…and as I trusted it more and followed his stride we would go faster and faster…and I didn’t even have to point the horse in any direction…he knew exactly where to take me…at this point I yelled at Johnny “we’re doing it…Dude I cant believe we are riding horses home in a full out run! This is sooo cool!” right before we got close to the Ranch…both horses were still in a full run side by side and they both transformed again harder and faster they ran into a full out sprint as fast as they could go!…next thing I know we are in the front yard of the ranch and the horses acted like it was nothing to get us there! Without me forcing anything or even trying the horses got us home safely and quickly! Running on those horses made me feel sooo FREE…I have never felt so Free and put soo much trust in something like that before! when we got off the horse and put them up and went to bed I remember feeling like I was high from the power and freedom I just felt. It didn’t really hit me the lesson that God was trying to show me from this horse till the very next day! I was flying home and sitting in the Denver Airport only moments away from boarding my flight back home..all of a sudden right before I turned off my cell phone I had a strange number come up on my cell…I answered ,and it was “The World Race” calling me to tell me that I had just been accepted into the Sept. trip and congratulations! I can only imagine what people at the gate where thinking when they watched me take this call cause I was in pure shock! after I got off the call I wanted to call and tell everyone I knew the GREAT NEWS! but it was final call for my flight and I had to get on now and they were closing the door! I tried to stay calm and compose myself. I took my seat and put my iPod on and tried to relax and sleep on the flight…well I was quickly interrupted by a last minute standby they let on the plane in the only seat that was empty…that’s right next to me! she sat next to me and immediately started up a conversation with me and we chatted about a lot of random stuff. (I didn’t want to be rude…but I really wanted to just sleep and not talk) but she kept engaging me in conversation, finally she let me listen to my iPod and I started to fall asleep listening to some Kim Walker. only a few minutes later I feel a tap on my arm. I turn to my left and she is asking me to take off my headphones…so I did…and she starts talking to me again and tells me how she is a Christian counselor for missionaries that come back to the states and helps them adjust to coming home and also helps them while overseas in ministry. ( at this point I was really like…this is not happening! really God! your awesome!) I had not told her anything about the trip or the world race…she basically knew nothing about me! she told me she had been praying for me since we took off and really felt the lord lead her to have me listen to a song…that I was supposed to reflect on my time from the weekend and everything going on and listen to the song…she handed me her ipod and she played the song for me…
(Here is the song on youtube)
it was only 30 seconds into the song that I began to weep like a baby. The song had a man singing “I believe…in a kingdom” but when he first sings it…its as if though he doesn’t really believe in it…but as the music intensifies and he practices saying it…he begins to believe it and declare it…he is screaming it by mid song and then adds…”God you are good!” and sings it with more and more belief with each verse! after I heard this song and was crying like a baby…she then asked if she could pray for me…I of course said yes! she began to prophesy over my life and declare that God was about to open doors in my life to adventures that will grow me more and build my fait in him more and more each day…and that god has set me free in my own life to show others how to be free…
This was totally God!…and at this point I knew it…the timing of it all….God was speaking to me now and what he showed me was…
The Horse…That taught me a lesson! Yes a horse…God was showing me our relationship from when I first got saved…to now…and into the future!
God showed me that when I was afraid of the horse and didn’t want to get on it and was scared even after experiencing a little bit of it was still afraid to get back on…but couldn’t stop thinking about how cool the horse was and want more and more of it….god told me that was when I first met him as a new believer…and how he will always come to me when I call…just like I kissed at the horse to come to me…when I pray god said to me I listen and I have heard and I have come every time!
Then God showed me how I have fallen off the horse before…but through his grace have been able to get back up again and get on…even though I fell off the horse…the horse did not leave me when I fell off..he stayed right by me watching me…waiting for me to get back on and ride again! Just like the horse….when I have fallen off before in sin in my relationship with god he has always been right there for me…he never left me or kicked me…he was right there for me.
Then God showed me as I make my trek down the road to the ranch in the dark and cant see where I am going and that I feel out of control and feel like everything is going crazy…He said to me…I know you are scared about what’s next Ryan…its ok…I know you are scared…but do not fear…If you would just trust me like you did that horse…and let go of your controlling ways…and trust me…that I have your best interest at hand…the ride may get fast and scary…but just hold on to me…chase after me…even in the darkest hour when you cant see past your hands…know that I am God…and I have never left you! and know that in the end…I WILL TAKE YOU HOME! Ride with me and You will get home Ryan…no matter the route…as long as your with me!
Praise God! for he is faithful in all things! He supplies my every need! HE IS FAITHFULL! HE IS WORHTY OF PRAISE! AND IN HIM I TRUST!
