Back In The Round Pen
Communicating is my forte, but often I do a better job with equines than humans. The other day, I worked with one particular youngster who had been pushed too far. Anxious from pressure, he just wanted to go. FAST. He wasn’t interested in yielding and working with me, and although he continually looked for rest subconsciously, it took a complete lack of pressure and some time for his brain to register that working with me was far more restful than working against me.
For two hours, I invited him to move in a controlled and relaxed manner, rather than dashing about in an out of mind frenzy. By the end, we were moving easily and stopping nicely on a loose reign but it took a while for his brain to unwind so we could move together.
Sitting in my hammock afterward, rubbing my feet I heard Jesus say softly. “ya know Katie, sometimes you’re a lot like that young horse.”
I was interested; “How so?”
Suddenly I saw a picture of me – given a vision, or instruction and, rather than resting and going about it with Jesus in a relaxed and yielded manner, I push for it. Like a choleric on a mission. I want to do it quickly and see results immediately, and once I have the direction, I tend to fly forward full speed, all excited, the goal firmly fixed in mind. God is teaching me He would far rather enjoy the process, working together, than have me plow forward to fulfill His request or vision on my own. I am to keep my eyes on the Vision Giver, and He’ll take me to its fulfillment.
There is something about working together with a well trained horse who yields to the trainer’s will, seamlessly performing difficult tasks; rider and mount in unison. It is beautiful; a feeling that mirrors in some small way that of walking in step with God’s Spirit on mission.
The best horses begin their training in the confines of a round pen, and as trust and submission are developed, are moved out to wider spaces. I see Jesus doing this very same thing for His children. He brings us into places of confinement to teach us the restfulness of yielding. The peace of trusting the Master completely. Not to rush ahead of the bit, not to lag behind, just perfectly in tune, poised and restful, waiting for His next cue.
It is when yielding becomes the horse’s second nature that the trainer can trust him in critical situations and it is when we are yielded and resting in Christ that we become trustworthy in critical matters of the Kingdom. It is also where we find the rest Hebrews tells us is there for the children of God who will enter it!
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope! Psalm 130:5
