Story Book Meadows Healing & Wellness Center

The purpose of this blog is to share the things I’ve learned from the horses in my lifetime. The other day I was speaking with a friend of over 30 years about seeking God and how hard it is when we are surrounded by worldly ways. We talked about why her life was filled with trials and how she felt it was more than she could handle. We talked about why it was happening to her and when I hung up from our conversation, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a memory that serves as a wonderful example of the teaching I had just shared with her. The memory is such a strong visual that I felt moved to write this story for you in the hopes that you will gain some insight too….

In 1974 my sister and I both owned horses and kept them at a large boarding facility in southern Ontario. We were both teenagers and rode our horses most evenings after school and on weekends. Her horse was a beautiful chestnut thoroughbred gelding named Golden Ontario and his barn name was Fred. My horse was a palomino gelding named Moonshadow. At this stable, all the horses were turned out together during the day in a large pasture of about 10 acres in size. There were geldings and mares mixed together of all ages.

Within the first week of moving to this stable, Fred had become the herd boss. To those of you who don’t know herd dynamics, there is only one Alpha horse in any herd and all others follow a pecking order down the line from the highest to the lowest. The order is determined by the substance of the horse. It doesn’t matter what breed, age, size or color the horse is. Their inner strength, ability, dominance and integrity or their total character is what determines their order. This is a rule of their species. As a leader is selected, all of the others bow to their position and authority.

Even years ago as a teenager, I remember noticing something interesting about these herd dynamics. When Fred was in the field he was Number 1, the boss, the leader. At 5:00 when the horses were being brought into the barn to feed, Fred was first at the gate. And who do you think was Number 2. Yes, it was Moonshadow. But knowing my horse, and his more laid back personality, it surprised me to see him right there next to Fred. However they were the best of friends and had always been so. As soon as Fred was taken out of the field, Moonshadow’s place dropped almost to last. In a heartbeat, without Fred, he was lost in the crowd. I realized that Moonshadow was basking in the power and presence of Fred as his leader. Once he was no longer beside Fred, he lost that protection and the power that had been reflected on him.

Fred and Moonshadow

I’m sure by now you see where this story is going and the metaphor. Yes, Fred is like our Lord Jesus and Moonshadow is like each one of us.

Once I noticed this amazing phenomenon in horse behavior I started to look for more interesting information about the herd hierarchy. Whenever Moonshadow was out with Fred, he was grazing within a few feet of him. If any horse were to come near him, Fred would just look at the other horse and it would walk away. When Fred wanted to move somewhere else in the pasture, he would move to Moonshadow’s flank and push him to direct Moonshadow to where he wanted to go. Fred was always guiding Moonshadow from behind. He didn’t lead him, but nudged him quietly and gently in the direction that Fred decided was best for both of them. If Moonshadow refused to obey him one of two things happened. Either Fred was more forceful and would nip him in the haunches or Fred would walk away in the direction he had urged Moonshadow to go. Once Moonshadow realized he was no longer within the protection and safety of Fred’s presence, he would find other horses starting to pick on him and would quickly catch up to Fred again. I noticed over and over that Moonshadow was rarely more than a few feet from Fred. He had learned that it was the safest place for him to be. He also found out that when he was next to Fred, he had power. Other horses would listen to Moonshadow much as they listened to Fred. Of course Moonshadow never tried to tell Fred what to do. In that huge herd of thirty horses, Moonshadow found safety next to the alpha. The only time Fred was ever away from Moonshadow was when we took him out to be ridden. And again, I noticed that Moonshadow became lost. It took only moments for other stronger horses to pick on him and push him to the rear of the herd. He would be chased and kicked and had to run away from the danger. He no longer had the privilege or the power of being Number 2. Moonshadow would become just like the rest of the herd. He fell into the order established by the other horses. I noticed once Moonshadow walked away from Fred, and other horses chased him, Fred did not come rushing to his rescue. Instead, Moonshadow would have to choose to come back to the safety of Fred’s influence. What I also found interesting was that Fred only befriended selective horses. Only those horses who came humbly to Fred would be allowed into his circle and those horses would also bask in his power. While they were around him, there was peace in the herd because they all knew who the boss was and the natural order of things. The constant fighting and bickering between other horses did not reach the herd boss. He was the King of the Pasture.

So with this story, it is easy to see the parallel of our seeking and aligning ourselves with our Alpha. Jesus is the King of our lives and it is only while we stay close to him that we can bask in his power and protection. When we walk away from him or we refuse to follow his direction, we have lost that safety and in the end, we will lose the ability to find the life that He promised us. For Moonshadow it was easy. Just hang out with Fred and don’t get distracted. But for us, the world (or the rest of the herd) is very persuasive. It is easy to believe that small things won’t matter but in each step we take away from God, we lose Him. He will never leave us, but we are so easily persuaded to leave him. It is so hard to stay with the King when the rest of the herd is having so much fun and creating such a distraction for us. We find it difficult to stay focused on only one god. But we have to choose. We cannot have one foot near our leader and one foot in the world and still expect our lives to be safe. We wonder why our lives are so hard yet the answer is right there in what we are thinking and doing. Once we step away from His safety, what else can we expect than to get kicked? We have an enemy who is waiting for us to step away from our Savior. Just as the other horses immediately attacked Moonshadow and pushed him back the moment he was no longer near Fred, we have an enemy that will take control of our life once we step away from Jesus.

The problem is most of us do not realize we have stepped away from Him. We think as long as we believe we’re good. And that is true, believing will get you to Heaven. But it is your day to day relationship with Jesus that will bring you an abundant life in this world. Even small steps away from Him allows the influence of the world to intrude. We think it is okay to praise him one minute and continue with our worldly pursuits the next. It is the little things that our enemy uses to distance us from our protector. Whether we choose to disobey our leader or we lack the knowledge of His kingdom, either way we become caught up in the consequences of our choice. It is not okay to live without integrity. It is not okay to say you will do something then not do it because you don’t ‘feel’ like it. It is not okay to not return phone calls. It is not okay to be late and disrespect another persons time. It is not okay, to engage in intimate relations without the sanctity of marriage. It is not okay to bully another by speaking harshly to them. It is not okay to fight with your spouse when no one else can hear you. It is not okay to emotionally or physically abuse your children. It is not okay to let your children think the ways of the world are acceptable. It is not okay to accept what the world accepts as truth because we know that the only TRUTH is God’s way. It is not okay to settle for what everyone else does. It is not okay to eat a poor diet and abuse your body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is not okay to leave a marriage because you don’t love your spouse anymore. Love is a decision! It is not okay to get drunk or take drugs behind closed doors. It is not okay to allow your children to spend time with ungodly people. It is not okay to be “yoked” with unbelievers. It is not okay to gossip, lie, cheat or steal. It is not okay to blame others. It is not okay to wallow in guilt and condemnation. It is not okay to text when you are driving. It is not okay to run up debt on your credit card that you cannot pay. It is not okay to think, speak or act in a way that would cause Jesus to weep. All these seemingly unimportant little things are the tiny steps the enemy uses to take you away from Jesus. God’s truth is ‘you reap what you sow’. Each time you choose to step away from God’s direction for your life, there will be consequences, just as Moonshadow found out. It is okay to set boundaries to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit’s counsel and guidance requires time and effort on your part. Studying His Word, spending time with those who are more mature in the Lord, Hearing His voice and obeying it, fasting and prayer are all tools to keep you near God. It is not okay to walk away from the protection and love of your God. You need Him in your life at every step. We are living in tough times and, like Moonshadow, I hope you learn how to fight the evil one and take the authority that Jesus has already given you through His resurrection at the cross. If God has called you to him, He wants you to stay near Him. And sometimes, God will ‘nip’ you in the haunches to get your attention. The wonderful thing about Jesus is His grace and mercy to forgive us each time we come back to Him. He will always love you. There is nothing so wrong in His eyes that can’t be forgiven if you repent and turn away from it. Yes Moonshadow gave up the freedom of interacting with the rest of the herd, but he gained the power of the Alpha. He knew where the safest place was to have a blessed life, DO YOU?

Trish & Athena at the Cross