Church Notes
Every Sunday, that we aren’t at a horse event, my wife and I load up the kids to make the 9-mile drive into town for church. It’s the quintessential small-town USA service, with the elders shaking hands at the front door. The unspoken dress code of jeans and boots works well with the rural community. I doctor a cup of coffee from the fellowship table and shake hands as I work my way over to the same seats we sit at every Sunday.
By the time we sing hymns of praise and review announcements, the pastor has made his way in from the first service. I’m ready to finally sit and focus on the whole reason I’m here. The sermon seems more personal this morning. Before I know it, I have a half sheet of notes jotted down on the back of my church brochure.
My wife gives me a dubious squinty-eyed look and mouths “Horsemanship notes? Really?”
Well, yes. Really.
There’s a lot that can be taken from your local church service that runs parallel to whatever horse program you’re trying to work with. Just as God is the priority of our lives, we in turn rank and file the other distractions of our existence to best glorify him and not lose sight of our ultimate reward. Where in that day did I get closer to my ultimate goal if our lives are crammed with distractions from 14-hour days working at the barn, running kids to basketball practice, rebuilding the workshop in the garage, and trying to say three words to my wife before passing out in front of Netflix. Where did I make time to touch base with God and make sure I was on track with Him?
To a much lesser degree, the personal goals we set with our horses can also get lost in the distractions of what we think are important but may not actually be. If I spend all my money on a hand-woven expensive pad and that $100+ show shirt my wife wants, will that make up for the fact that I didn’t teach my horse the basics of connecting the reins to the feet before I tried a reining spin at the horse show? Would I be better off to go seek a lesson with another or have a materialistic mindset and be more concerned about the appearance of myself over functionality of my horse? Tapping out my resources on the optional niceties may have me looking like one of the top-industry riders, but it won’t help me score what i need in order to join them. My $100k truck and trailer is left in the parking lot and the judge doesn’t have time to read the label on the back of my shirt. The professional image I present is a matter of pride and importance, but it will never overcome a horse that can’t catch its lead or refuses to side pass over a log. It’s important to stay focused on what matters most to help achieve that year-end award or big horse show win. Develop a responsive, willing, obedient partner.
Making it a priority to worship regularly is to further my spiritual growth and give me a strong foundation for life. Making it a priority to learn solid basic horsemanship is building a foundation for winning. Its hard to reach goals without a solid foundation, no matter what it is.