Horseback Riding

SO today I am going to my friend Lisa's farm and we are going to ride her horses. I am PUMPED. When I was younger I used to BEG my mom for a horse. We had a lot of land at our house in Minnesota...and ALL of our neighbors had horses. As much as I begged, I realistically knew that it probably wouldn't happen. When we moved to Calgary, me and my friend Jessica took English riding lessons out by Okotokes. It was EXCITING. We learned how to groom the horses, feed them, and put of their saddle/bridle/bit...the whole works. During the lessons we learned to trot, gallop and canter...and even go over small jumps and stand up on our horses. It was freeing and exhilarating. For some reason, after that one year of lessons we stopped going and since then the only riding I've done is western riding in the mountains and in Belize during our leadership missions trip. THAT ride was crazy. It was the first time I had been on a horse in a river...they swim AWESOMELY...but you completely lose all control and feel like you're going to fall off into the water. I've realized that riding horses is all about trust. You have to trust that the horse isn't going to scare and shake you off... or stumble and fall. Riding down narrow, rocky cliffs in the mountains can be TERRIFYING but if you worry about that then the ride isn't going to be enjoyable.

God desires that same kind of trust from us. When we're walking on the edge and all we see is potential danger, the fear can be overwhelming. God doesn't want us to live a life of fear, but one where we aren't afraid to go out on a limb and trust that he'll take care of us.

Psalm 28:77 ,"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." When life gets hard and we depend on our own strength or even the strength of others....we will be disapointed. When my heart trusts in God....that's when I know....that whatever happens, I can fall back on Him and He wont stumble and fall.