Perseverance~A Lost Trait?

LESSON 13--Upset = Get Busy

Throughout my lessons with LeAnn, I often wondered "When am I going to get to actually ride Nitro?"  It seemed like baby steps and to be frank, FOREVER, in learning the groundwork part of horsemanship.  I will talk more about this later (Lesson 17), but LeAnn was being very cautious with me in teaching me how to stay safe.  She would say "New day, New horse", and I didn't understand what she meant until this day when Nitro became upset, and I was on his back.

LeAnn was with me on another horse (Pi--who, by the way was not behaving) and when we were headed away from the other horses and the barn, well....lets just say things weren't going so well.  My brain went back to my experience with my husband when Nitro was approached by Captain (who was allowed to just hang out with us as he road Rocky and I road Nitro for the first time.)  Captain is a young guy and he is more a pet then anything and when we came to the open field....it was play time!!!

So, I did my best to hold Nitro; pulled back on the reins, raised my voice, became very frightened.  Captain came running up next to us and kicked in the air, then snorted and took off into the open field.  It was as if he said to Nitro "Let's go buddy!!" "Come on!!"

As you might guess, my picture of a nice horseback ride with my husband to start my summer off after a difficult time in my life, was not matching reality at this point.

I said in a not-so-nice voice to my husband "make him stop!"  He said "you need to control your horse".  You see, I was not happy that he allowed Captain to come along, I suggested that he stay back, but my husband didn't see that there would be a problem.  Now, since this was HIS idea, in my mind, HE should fix it!

I got off of Nitro, and walked home.

I was SO angry, I was crying, yelling, stomping and by the time I got home I was beside myself.  

Rewind back to the beginning of this post, this is where my brain went....oh, no...Nitro is acting exactly the same way as that day in June!!

One major difference--I had LeAnn, and I had done my groundwork--I had tools in my toolbox.  I felt confident and LeAnn said "Cindy, sit heavy in your saddle and do what Nitro knows how to do.  Get him busy."  So instead of it being about me, it became about Nitro.  I said "Whoa, back; then side step, then figure 8...."  By the time we were finished, we were facing away from the other horses and the barn and we just took a break.  I did not get into a rein fight with him, make him 'hold in' his energy...I let him spend his energy, but I was in charge.

It was the most empowering moment....to face a fear, and overcome it.....to use what I had learned and to accomplish the task at hand. 

From the book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction By Eugene H. Peterson, Page 22 "They are not monuments, but footprints.  A monument only says, 'At least I got this far," while a footprint says, "This is where I was when I moved again.'" By William Faulkner.  

That event could have been my monument, just as retirement or parenthood or even the death of a loved one; but I chose to make this event a footprint.

Friedrich Nietzsche (my son-in-law's favorite philosopher) wrote, "The essential thing 'in heaven and earth' is . . . that there should be long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living."  

What I am wondering is if as we journey through this life, if we busy ourselves SO much, that starting and finishing, working through difficult times, getting busy this 'persevering attribute' has been lost.

Perseverance defined ~steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.  OR The quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult.

 DO WE HAVE TOO MUCH? ARE WE TOO BUSY?

At least, I know I can say 'Yes' to these questions; how about you?

James 1:2-4  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

I feel most complete when I am running, listening to praise music ... outside ... alone with God.  There are very few distractions and on our farm, all of God's gifts become so apparent to me.  I lift my hands in praise, singing praises to Him and I am thankful.

Our pond, my Saturday morning 'praise' run.