Dig In

I have 4 futurity colts entered in the fall futurities.  We are taking them to jackpots in as many arenas as we can to expose them to different types of ground and sights that they are not familiar with.  They are learning that to run in ground with ruts and holes around the barrels is more difficult than running in my near perfect sandy loam arena.  They are being exposed to trailers, horses with different smells, flags, banners, overhead announcer stands, lots of people, etc. They are being put into situations where they have to dig in.  They have to make an extra effort and think their way through things. You can soon find out what a horse is made of mentally and physically when the going is different and gets tougher.  The great horses will learn to trust their handler and dig in and the other ones will avoid the greater effort by running off or coasting.  The seasoning process is an opportunity to teach a young horse to dig in and grow. It is an opportunity to see what they have learned at home and expand on it and put it into practice. The trainer has to know how much pressure to apply, when to apply it and when to back off. 

Life gives us many opportunities to dig in, grow and learn.  When these opportunities are presented, we have to know where to dig in to get the most growth out of adversity.  Divorce, financial problems, health problems, problems with children, problems at work, marriage problems, grief and loss, things not working out as we had dreamed, etc. are all opportunities to dig in and grow. Ty Murray has a saying that "Adversity is life's greatest teacher."   It sure can be when we dig into the right well.  In the Old Testament, we have the example of the Israelites when they dug into wells that would not hold water.  In other words, they were putting all their effort into something that would not bring growth nor advance them.  We could liken this now days to someone who gets hit with adversity and turns to the ways of the world to ease their pain.  People who are not rooted and grounded in the Word of God will turn to the bars, drugs, overworking, new relationships, etc. to ease their pain.  These are wells that will neither hold water nor grow you when you dig into them.  You will not advance and God will not be glorified. 

To grow the maximum in an adverse situation, we must dig into the wells of salvation.  (Isaiah 12:2 and 3)  The wells of salvation offer us all the things we need to survive and grow through our situations.  Salvation is asn on-going experience.  The initial acceptance of Jesus Christ is the beginning of our trainer entering into our being to help us become Christ-like.  We begin our training by learning the basics of Christianity walking hand and hand with our handler.  We are His to season and present opportunities to grow as He sees fit.  

Thursday, I was giving a shot to one of my horses in a stall bedded in shavings.  She jumped forward and I twisted my left foot under my right leg and fell down.  She stepped over me and when I started to get up, I knew that something was wrong with my left foot.   At the Emergency Room, I saw an X-ray that showed three bones broken in the side of my foot.  Barb and Dean Boyer had taken me in, as my husband was out of town to a meeting.  We were believing that it would be a sprain.  I have been so excited to have both shoulders working again and being able to go fast on the futurity colts.  In less than a month, their first competitions begin.  When they put the X-ray up to the light, it was obvious that I was being presented an opportunity to see what God has planned in my area of growth. It wasn't just broken, but spiraled.

I sat there in the ER thinking about my colts and how I am more concerned that they make great open horses than I am that they make great futurity colts. I know that God is more concerned about my growth than He is my competition.  I know that He can use this to my good when my mind stays on trusting Him.  In times like this, we cannot panic and run off.  It is dig in time.  I have many things to draw from the wells of salvation.  There is trust in God there, peace, comfort and joy.  One of the fruits of the Spirit is perseverance.  That word means not losing heart, commitment to endure and be long-spirited.  The word is used 14 times in the N.T. and could be defined as "a willing restraint of the mind before moving to action or emotion."  I remind myself to restrain my mind at this time and not let it run wild. 

On Monday, I will know what the doctors will decide to do with the foot.  As for now, I am on ice in a waiting mode.  This is a great opportunities to be quiet and commune with God and the Holy Spirit.  It is a great opportunity to be thankful for my friends and family and for all by blessings.  The same night that my foot was broken, a death occurred in the ER.  That could have been me.  Life can change in an instant.  For now, I am using my shovel and digging into the only well that will grow me and cause me to learn new things about God and His faithfulness.  I pray that this will encourage someone out there who is struggling with why things happen and struggling with bitterness.  Just like the futurity horse, we must give it up to the handler to guide and direct our path and mold us into the winner that He knows we can be. 

Dig in, but be careful where you dig.