A Horse

I know I've probably written all I can about a horse right? Well maybe not- it seems I have a lot more to say about horses than I like to think. SInce I have such a strong drawing towards horses, I find that I love pictures of them, stories about them and movies (with any ending) about them. Since I wsas young and we did not grow up with much money, the only place that I could connect with a horse was in books, TV shows, and the infamous Triple Crown races. I loved to watch the entire day unfold at the Kentucky Derby where commentators would discuss and detail the short lives of the 3yr old horses running. Where they had been bred, who owned and trained them and what their odds were against the rest of the field. The first time I heard the story oo Secretariat was on Derby Day when the commentator compared Affirmed to Secretariat. The way that Affirmed ran was comparable to Secretariat's style and heart. And Affirmed was the last Triple Crown winner the infamous three races saw. And then again in 2006, the commentators found another recognizible fashion in Barbaro, a horse that was set to win the Triple Crown and on Derby Day they compared his heart to that of Secretariat's. Barbaro never finished the Preakness his heart to run was stronger than his body. I still love the races, I feel like I am flying when the horses run and I have no idea why. I have never ran in a race or been on a racing Thoroughbred and yet I feel them flying. Don't believe that horses can fly!? Look at this picture of Secretariat, all 4 feet off the ground, his stride was 28 feet long (thats from front heals on the ground 1 stride to back heals on the ground, I'd say that's about as close to flying as you can get on mammal. So why horses? And why the races? Well first of all they are upcoming beginning in April so there ya have it; and second, the movie Secretariat came out on DVD and I watched it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and then again on Saturday with Sydney and I heard something, something that I probably missed the first time through.

Job39: 19-24 "Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?He paws fiercly, rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground, he can not stand still when the trumpet sounds."

I love these picture of Napoleon and his horse. His horse, Vizir, his favorite horse (of his 150+ horses) that was a gift to him from the Sultan of Turkey in 1805. Vizir was a proud Arabian stallion and in each of these pictures you can see his steadfastness - eyes ever forward toward the sound of battle - ears waiting for the trumpet's sound giving him the release to eat up the ground toward the awaiting battlefield.

I'd never heard these verses before and when they were spoke on the movie I didn't know if I believed they were actually part of the book of Job. But why wouldn't I? The horse is the most referenced animal in the Bible - something that I am fully aware of - so why would this seem so out of the ordinary? I've never thought of my horses as 'striking terror' by their snorting and yet they do. I've never thought they would "laugh at fear", "eat up the ground" or "no stand still when the trumpet sounds" - and then I reflect on my horse, on her heart, and lack of fear. She is strong (even tho right now she is fat). When I take her to training and then to endurance races she eats up the ground, ears pricked forward toward the battle that lay ahead of her, and she goes without fear. I wield no sword, there is no quiver rattling at her side, and there is no trumpet sounding battle. And yet, her sides quiver, her ears prick forward, and she sets her eyes toward the field ahead, with the desire to eat up the ground.

God was talking to Job and giving him hope in the situation that Job found himself. The comparison of the horse was to give Job the insight that God was the One who knew all and controlled all, holding all in His sight and that His creation, the horse, knew all this and goes without fear.

I am not the horse that goes without fear, waiting for the trumpet sound, I am not the rider that sits in confidence awaiting for the battle cry. But I desire that heart, I desire the heart of fearlessness that my horse has, I desire the strength that is proud and strikes fear. So why the horse yet again? Because in this time of trials and suffering, in the midst of anguish and heartache, my horse stands close - waiting for the sound of the trumpet, ever by my side she stands waiting, with comfort and steadiness she waits. This is the waiting that God offers, the steadiness that doesn't press me forward but allows me my craziness and unorganization. My God of horses, my God of patience, my God of strength.

"Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck in a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercly rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side along with flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground, he can not stand still at the trumpets sound."

I hope one day I have this heart, this heart to compare to my horse's heart, this heart that God can provide, this heart that is in waiting, waiting for me.