A Lesson In Trust
by Joan Clayton
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self- discipline," (1 Timothy 1:7, NLT).
The March spring winds roared like the proverbial lion, but that’s how it is in eastern New Mexico. My husband had gone to Oklahoma to help our middle son build a barn. It became my job to feed Lady, a beautiful sorrel mare that seemed more like a person than a horse.
Twice a day I fed Lady. I loved hearing her neigh to me in her loving way as she nuzzled my shirt with her velvety soft nose. She loved the early morning feedings at the break of day. So did I. The quiet and stillness soothed both of us. About mid-morning, the wind started its frolic. Gathering momentum it rattled, whizzed and sent tumbleweeds to Texas.
Lady’s afternoon feedings did not go as smoothly. One particular evening, the fierce wind became violent. The tin roof over the barn that housed her feeding trough shook and rattled. One piece of the tin flapped up and down and sounded like crashing symbols. Swirling dust only added to Lady’s anxiety.
Lady came galloping up eager to eat when I called, but she wouldn’t get anywhere close to her trough. She stood several feet away, calling to me with her whinnies. I’m too scared, I could sense her feeling. But I’m hungry too, she seemed to say.
I felt so sorry for her. The clanging of the wind against the barn terrified her. Her eyes never left mine as she neighed pitifully, standing her ground in the midst of the storm. “Come on Lady,” I coaxed as I tried to tempt her by pouring her feed into her trough. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. I’m here and I will take care of you.”
Something clicked inside of me. How many times have I acted just like Lady? How many times have I stood in the midst of the howling storms of life, allowing the winds of adversity to blow me around? Many times I, like Lady, had been caught out in the elements of life afraid and anxious, when nourishment for my soul and shelter from the storm was just a prayer away.
“Come Lady, trust me. It’s all right. You can trust me. Haven’t we always taken care of you? I will keep you from harm.”
At that moment, in my heart, my Master was saying the same thing to me. “Haven’t I always taken care of you? I will be with you in the winds of adversity.”
If Lady can trust her master, I can surely trust mine.
by Joan Clayton
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self- discipline," (1 Timothy 1:7, NLT).
The March spring winds roared like the proverbial lion, but that’s how it is in eastern New Mexico. My husband had gone to Oklahoma to help our middle son build a barn. It became my job to feed Lady, a beautiful sorrel mare that seemed more like a person than a horse.
Twice a day I fed Lady. I loved hearing her neigh to me in her loving way as she nuzzled my shirt with her velvety soft nose. She loved the early morning feedings at the break of day. So did I. The quiet and stillness soothed both of us. About mid-morning, the wind started its frolic. Gathering momentum it rattled, whizzed and sent tumbleweeds to Texas.
Lady’s afternoon feedings did not go as smoothly. One particular evening, the fierce wind became violent. The tin roof over the barn that housed her feeding trough shook and rattled. One piece of the tin flapped up and down and sounded like crashing symbols. Swirling dust only added to Lady’s anxiety.
Lady came galloping up eager to eat when I called, but she wouldn’t get anywhere close to her trough. She stood several feet away, calling to me with her whinnies. I’m too scared, I could sense her feeling. But I’m hungry too, she seemed to say.
I felt so sorry for her. The clanging of the wind against the barn terrified her. Her eyes never left mine as she neighed pitifully, standing her ground in the midst of the storm. “Come on Lady,” I coaxed as I tried to tempt her by pouring her feed into her trough. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. I’m here and I will take care of you.”
Something clicked inside of me. How many times have I acted just like Lady? How many times have I stood in the midst of the howling storms of life, allowing the winds of adversity to blow me around? Many times I, like Lady, had been caught out in the elements of life afraid and anxious, when nourishment for my soul and shelter from the storm was just a prayer away.
“Come Lady, trust me. It’s all right. You can trust me. Haven’t we always taken care of you? I will keep you from harm.”
At that moment, in my heart, my Master was saying the same thing to me. “Haven’t I always taken care of you? I will be with you in the winds of adversity.”
If Lady can trust her master, I can surely trust mine.
