I’m not “horsing around.” The month of May can be a month packed with many things to prepare for. Are you preparing for a graduation party? How about a memorial service? Perhaps you are preparing for a horse show or a trail ride with friends this summer.
Preparation is a management principle where we get ready for a “final accomplishment or a successful experience.” In the midst of our preparation zone, we have many choices, decisions, and options. There aren’t “rights” and “wrongs,” but rather “yeses” and “nos”.
I have several graduations to attend this year, celebrating the accomplishment of beloved friends and family. However, I would not be attending the ceremonies or the open houses if there had not been people involved in the preparation of these festive events.
A girlfriend of forty years called and asked if she could come for a visit. I excitedly responded with a “Yes!” She’s from Iowa, but please don’t hold that against her. (I’m only kidding; I was born and raised in Iowa.) This gal was born in Germany. She was given up for adoption when she was six months old. A couple from Iowa, working through a Catholic organization, chose this little two and a half year old girl, and made her their daughter.
In the ‘50s, four little orphans were placed on a plane in Germany, and landed in Davenport, Iowa. In the ‘80s, Chris (whose birth name is Vera), through the translation assistance of her family doctor, (who was from Germany and spoke fluent German,) completed a phone call to Germany. The search to “connect” and “discover” was on, and this delightful woman was blessed to eventually meet her grandmother, her biological dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her birth mother was deceased.
In April of this year, Chris was contacted by a cousin who had helped with translation during the first trip to Germany where Chris re-united with her birth family. The cousin is now living in the United States, and used social media to search for Chris. She found Chris, and guess where the cousin is living? Huntsville, Alabama! Miracles happen daily. Whether we believe those three words or not has no effect on how God continues to move and work. Seeing the miraculous is like seeing true beauty. Chris and her cousin Doris had a beautiful reunion! A horse session was cancelled due to weather, but it’s on the books for when she returns.
When we engage in preparation, included is purpose, priority, “the plan,” and sometimes weather. Corral Connections has made preparation each and every time an event is scheduled. That event may be a one-on-one session, or a group. Another word for preparation is training. Horses are in training through our communications with them, and the leadership skills we bring as we connect. Humans are in training in righteousness. When a human experiences an inner shift from “being right” to “being righteous,” the entire earth is blessed because this shift affects relationships.
With horses, the handler is instructed in groundwork. Groundwork is another word for preparation. The horse is moving its feet. The human is being still, but moving into leadership. How amazing is that! One final word to define preparation is homework. More times than not, a home work assignment is given. Its purpose is to encourage an individual to remember, “walk it out”, or to build the confidence that comes from dignity, value, and worth as was revealed through the finished word of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Horses hooves are shod with metal plates we call shoes. According to the Word of God, our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Gospel simply means “good news,” the good news of starting a relationship that develops into a partnership. Yes, our relationship with Abba Father runs parallel with our relationship with our horse.
I close with this quote: “At its finest, rider and horse are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other’s very well-being.” Author Unknown
Enjoy your preparation time as you eye-witness your relationship develop into a partnership.
