Today I went grocery-shopping with one of my best friends,
and to our delight, we found some amazing bargains that, thanks to our
freezers, will satisfy our taste buds for weeks without compromising our bank
accounts. We were so thrilled! I can honestly say that roasted chicken with my
salad tonight was one of my yummiest dinners in my little home so far. It made
me so excited and grateful about something that is easily considered so simple.
Many times, bargains become some of our most prized delights
if we are patient and diligent to actually look for them and are willing to
give up having them immediately. Sometimes we may even have to pay a little
price –but compared to the eventual result, it is only minute. This isn’t just
solid, smart grocery-shopping. I know this may sound a little strange, but
waiting and finding “bargains” applies to our other aspects of life, too.
Countless times it may seem to us that God asks us to give up our dreams,
talents, and gifts and to patiently seek His face as we wait until He opens
doors and reveals us our “life bargains.” Recently, through a series of amazing
new opportunities, I realized that God has a timing for everything, including
my talents and dreams. He uses every single one of them in His beautiful,
perfect timing when I patiently wait, making the most of the here and now while
being available to His call.
Summer 2011, I realized how much I still craved to ride,
care for, and work with horses; but I was not really sure how that could happen
anymore. I decided to just surrender that dream up to the Lord –maybe that was
all it had ever been supposed to be? That fall, I found out about my college’s
new equestrian center which was offering free riding lessons. I had my first
back-in-the-saddle experience before Christmas break, and once I was back from
vacation, I took lessons probably maybe about four to five times a month. I was
finally experiencing what I had always dreamed of. I continually wanted more –I
could not get enough time in the saddle. God allowed me to work at a summer
camp where I spent three months taking care of horses and eventually teaching
beginner lessons maybe 75% of the day –even though I had only started seriously
riding that past January (don’t tell me that there is anything that God can’t do!).
As I neared the end of camp, I realized how much I had enjoyed the experiences
I had run across. I had truly loved every single opportunity that had involved
working with children and horses, and I couldn’t imagine stopping now that I
had tasted what delight those activities were. I researched community
outreaches near my college that used horses to touch people’s lives. To my excitement,
I discovered one only ten minutes away from campus! Needless to say, I quickly
became an active contributor to the horse ministry throughout the fall by
helping out with horse conditioning and youngsters’ horse clubs.
What am I doing now, you may ask?
Well… after only so little time, I am now the ministry’s
horse clubs manager, and I was just asked yesterday to write part of our
developing manual that we plan to make available to anyone out there interested
in knowing how to start an equine-assisted therapy program! I know…INCREDIBLE,
RIGHT!? I still cannot believe it. I can only sit here on my living room floor,
amazed at what God’s plans are and ashamed of the many times I still try to
control them and fit my life to the mold I
think it should be. He really does know best, even when we feel as if we
are giving up what we love most. If I had been given horse opportunities
earlier, I honestly don’t know if I would be using them to try to reach out to
others. Many times He makes us wait because we are not ready, or not as many
people would be blessed through us, or He ultimately wouldn’t be glorified as
much. After all, life is all about just that, touching people’s lives and
bringing Him glory.
To be continued…
No comments:
Post a Comment