Springtime evenings at the barn, the air perfumed by wisteria, birds twittering, horses grazing in the nearby pasture, ahh, Lord, thank You for such a beautiful world. One of my favorite times and places.
After bringing Reecie in from the pasture and brushing her down, I saddled up for a late afternoon ride. My goal was to concentrate on my posture in the saddle and guide Reecie through and around various obstacles.
When I kept my head up, my eyes forward, weight evenly distributed in the saddle, as we walked over poles lying on the ground Reecie stepped over them without hitting any. If I daydreamed, slouched, or leaned to one side, her hooves clunked a couple.
Huh, even tiny movements, or my loss of focus, changes her reactions quite a bit. Interesting.
Someone had left a rope lying on the ground near the hay barn side of the arena. When I looked beyond the rope, Reecie walked past it. The next time we rode on that side of the arena I looked directly at the rope to see what Reecie would do. By golly if she didn’t go exactly to it!
She stopped and looked down at the rope as if she were asking, “What’s that thing and what am I supposed to do with it?”
“Walk on Reecie,” she stepped over the rope, and we continued on.
After about thirty minutes of riding over and around various objects I brought her to a halt and dismounted.
As I unsaddled and brushed her off, I pondered how much Reecie was influenced by my focus on where to go and how I rode in the saddle. I found it interesting that she was that attentive to me and what I was doing. Or even thinking….
In Reflection –
Where I looked, if my mind wandered, how I moved (or sat) in the saddle – all of these influenced Reecie’s behavior, her movements, and even her reactions to objects on the ground. She was tuned into me, placing her trust in me, taking her guidance from me.
Am I tuned in to, placing my affections on, Christ? Are my behaviors, habits, reactions, and activity influenced by Him?
How about you? What influences guide your life? Where have you placed your affections? Your trust?
“Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life,” Proverbs 4:23 (TLB).
paynefulponderings 