Great Horse Stories

by Rebecca E. Ondov

  What the mighty leader did next amazes me. “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV). When everyone and everything seemed against him—even his men wanted to kill him—David turned to God for encouragement and guidance. David asked whether he should pursue the raiders. God said yes, so David did. When his army came upon the Amalekites, the Israelites slew almost everyone, rescued the kidnapped people, and gained the spoils the raiders had been amassing.

  When Wendy encouraged herself with words from God, she grabbed hold of victory too. The key is to meditate on God’s Word and do what He says. He will fill us with hope and see us through our circumstances.

  Are you wondering about Boon and the birds? During the days the nest was down, Wendy worked Boon through his skittishness. She never knocked down any more nests, and the pigeons settled in and hatched two babies.

  This past winter I met with Wendy at the ranch and asked her to show me around. As we walked through the wide doorway of the breeding shed, four pigeons dive-bombed us. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Wendy laughed so hard her whole body shook. She said those pigeons are great reminders of the wisdom she got from God: “When things look overwhelming, keep on and don’t stop. When you get to the other side, it’s all worth it.”

  Lord, when I’m down and blue, please give me words of encouragement—special ones from Your heart to mine. Amen.

  • Thoughts to Ponder •

  Do you get depressed when it seems like life is stacked against you? Like there’s no way you can come out ahead? What options do you have when that feeling comes?

  24

  THE FLOOD!

  Praying for a Miracle

  Tuesday, October 20, 1998, Gonzales, Texas

  Robin’s fingers gripped the cold bathroom sink. Her heart pounded as her eyes rested on the words she’d written on the mirror: “God can work miracles.” She swallowed and focused on the rest. “With hope in our lives, all else is possible.” She closed her eyes. God, thank You for protecting my family and friends. Now what about the horses?

  The past few days had been a raging nightmare. Storm systems had collided. One contained the residual moisture from the tropical cyclone Madeline. With the 22 inches of torrential rain that had fallen over the weekend, the Guadalupe River, which normally flowed along the west side of downtown Gonzales, had been transformed into a deadly flash flood. The river had crested at 51 feet—flood stage was 31 feet. The “100-year flood” swept through portions of the city and surrounding countryside. Many roads had been barricaded for days. Media reports were constantly providing updates on deaths and devastation.

  Although Robin’s home was on a hill above downtown and wasn’t in danger of flooding, emotionally she was exhausted from praying nonstop for family and friends who potentially were in danger…and for her horses.

  As she looked in the mirror, a memory surged through her mind. A few days before, she’d walked down to the park a half mile away. The closer she got to the river, the louder the roar of the water until it was deafening. When she got to the riverbank, all she could see for miles was dirty brown water sweeping away trees and cars. On a little island in the river and on the far bank, soaking-wet cows stood with their heads hanging low, exhausted from being swept down the river until they managed to clamber up the banks to safety. Other cows thrashed as they still floated down the river, their mournful moos piercing the air. She watched as the current swept a cow off its feet. It bobbed downstream trying to hold its head above water. She shuddered as she thought about her horses. Are they alive? Did they get swept away like that cow?

  Robin’s horses were pastured on a ranch 17 miles from town. She had no way of knowing if they were okay. There wasn’t anybody who lived on the land or close by that she could contact, and the roads going out there had been under water. A creek ran through the pasture, dividing it in two. The barn was on higher ground, and if the horses were up by the barn, they might be okay. But if they’d been on the other side of the creek when the flash flood hit…

  Robin shook her head. She especially couldn’t bear to think of her horse Gus being washed into the raging creek where he’d drown or be battered by trees and debris until he was killed. Is Gus okay? God, I know You can save and protect him. I know You love horses. Please help them. But deep inside there was a little doubt that was tearing her heart. Would God do this for her? Was she worth that kind of miracle?

  As a caseworker for Child Protective Services, all day long Robin was battered emotionally while she acted as an advocate for abused and neglected children. The system seemed inadequate in a lot of cases. Often nothing changed for the children. At those times she wondered if her work mattered. And when she was really worn down, she wondered if she was valuable to God. Her marriage was also on shaky ground at the time.

  During these difficult times, her horse Gus had been a stabilizing force in Robin’s life. At the end of the day she couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around the gray gelding. It was almost as if he felt the turmoil she carried in her heart from the horrendous things the children had endured. After brushing and saddling him, the real world disappeared when she put her foot in the stirrup and swung up. She entered a beautiful world riding a horse that loved her over grassy hills, around tall trees, and along a gurgling creek.

  Robin looked into the mirror, double-checking her makeup before she went to work. She took a deep breath and focused her heart on the words scribbled there. “You are a mighty God.” She paused and let the words sink in. It was Tuesday. Although the river was still way outside its banks, the rain had stopped. Over the last 24 hours, the water had subsided enough that many roadblocks had been taken down. After work, her husband would drive her out to the ranch—if the roads were clear.

  After work, the sun shone brightly as John and Robin drove slowly down the storm-damaged roads in their silver Ford pickup. The truck bounced through new and old potholes. Whole sections of pavement had cracked and fallen away.

  Robin’s heart pounded harder and harder with each passing mile. She knew it would be a miracle if all their horses were okay. Is Gus okay? Oh, Gus, you have to be okay! In the back of her mind the doubt snuck in again. Does God love me enough to do a miracle for me?

  When the pavement ended and the dirt road began, the truck sank deep into the muck. The engine roared and the wheels spun, flinging mud along the sides of the truck. Slipping and sliding as if they were on ice, they wound down the road. Robin leaned forward as the little empty farmhouse and the rusty tin barn came into view. She surveyed the area around the barn. The water hadn’t gotten this high. They turned into the driveway and drove past the house. The truck rumbled as they drove over the cattle guard and down to the barn. Her hopes soared as she glimpsed a couple of horses standing under the eaves of the barn. But as they drove closer, she saw a couple of buckskins, a sorrel, and a bay. Her mind screamed, Gus, you have to be here too!

  Robin pushed the truck door open. The rushing creek roared below the barn. Racing inside, she glanced around. Five horses. There should be six. Everyone is here except Gus! A wave of nausea crashed over Robin. She ran down the hill screaming, “Oh God, help me find him! I know that he has to be here!” There were only two options. He might be across the creek…or he’d been washed downstream.

  The water had risen most of the way up the bank but had receded some, leaving behind the skeletal remains of downed trees. The brush and grass lay flattened. Robin cupped her hands to her mouth and screamed as loud as she could, “Gus! Guusss!” She walked along the fence line, getting as close to the water as she dared. God, You’ve got to show me where he is! He’s got to be here! She scanned the trees on the other side. They had been underwater. Debris lay in piles everywhere. Could the water have trapped Gus against the fence and then swept him away?

  Crashing water was all she could hear. She looked at its swirls. Nothing could survive that. She looked up and screamed with all her might, “Gus! Guusss!” God, if he’s here, let him hear me. Help
him see me. Five minutes passed. She paced along a finger of land between the fence and the water. Dear God, let him be alive! Trees bobbed down the creek. She squinted across the creek. “Guusss!” Tears streamed down her face. Lord, he can’t be gone. Help him hear me.

  Suddenly Robin heard a faint crash. She saw a flash on the other side of the creek. Her gray gelding raced toward her, his eyes locked on her. His long, silver mane and tail flowed as he jumped over logs and debris. She stood gaping. He’s okay! He’s coming toward me. He’s running! He’s not hurt!

  He raced faster and faster, as if he’d been looking for her for days, and she was finally here to help him. The water raced, forming an impassible chasm between them. Robin expected him to slow and then stop as he neared the raging water. He stampeded to the edge and paused. His body shook as his neigh rang out. He launched off his hind quarters and plunged into the turbulent water. Robin held her breath. Oh, God, don’t let him be washed downstream…or be impaled by a tree!

  Only Gus’s gray nose, wide eyes, and jawbone showed above the deep, dirty-brown water. He swam with powerful strokes, but the river swept him downstream. Trees and limbs floated alongside him. Robin followed along the bank. She cupped her hands and screamed, “C’mon, Gus! Gus!” He bobbed in the current. Slowly he moved toward her. Tears streamed down her face. “Guusss!”

  Suddenly the horse gathered his feet underneath him, popped out of the water, scrambled up the bank, and ran to her. Brown water dripped off him, and he shook. Breathing hard and exhausted, he lowered his head toward her feet.

  Robin wrapped her arms around his neck. Her mind whirled through the things that could have happened. He could have tried to swim the creek when it was higher and been washed downstream. He could have gotten hung up in the barbed-wire fence that lay in a ball on the bottom of the creek. He could have been jammed with a stick or a tree. But Gus came through the ordeal unharmed! Dirty water soaked her clothes. She buried her face in his neck. “God, thank You for my miracle,” she prayed aloud.

  By the time the flooding was over, it had set new records for peak flood depths in 15 locations. It claimed many lives, including more than 31 human lives and countless ranch animals, domestic animals, and wildlife. The estimated property damage was more than $750,000,000. It was a once-in-a-lifetime flood.

  For Robin it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only did she receive her miracle of God protecting Gus, but through that harrowing time she saw how much God cared for her. The greatest miracle wasn’t watching God rescue her horse. It was what God did in her heart. She’d been living in the flood of life with emotional skeletons popping up and floating past. In the end, when Gus ran to her, Robin had been running to Jesus—trusting Him with all her heart—full blast…no hesitation. When she jumped into the river of His love, believing, He embraced her. In His arms she made a life-changing discovery. That day He showed her that if she trusted Him, no matter what else was going on He would take care of her and bless her.

  • Robin and Gus •

  Over the next few weeks, God also confirmed for Robin that she was touching the lives of the children she worked with in a mighty way. She summed it up when she wrote on her mirror, “I am the miracle.” Without a doubt, she was important and valuable to God.

  Robin triumphed over one of the devil’s sneakiest schemes. It’s when life is at its most difficult moments that he hits us the hardest. Out of his bag of tricks he pulls out the lie that hurts the worst because it wounds our hearts so deeply. It’s a question followed by an accusation the devil whispers in our ears: “Do you really think you’re valuable to God? Nothing you do matters.” Believing that lie destroys hope. The devil knows there are days when he can wear down even the strongest people. He gets pleasure out of inflicting pain. He hopes that we will let his lies penetrate our hearts and wound us.

  Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus lived here on earth temporarily clothed in a human body. He knows what it’s like to have the devil grating on us. He knows that it’s a dangerous time when we’re emotionally weak. When we find ourselves getting worn down, that’s when it’s the most important that we run to Jesus just like Gus galloped to Robin…and Robin ran to Jesus. Walking to Him just isn’t fast enough.

  Lord, help me rest in the fact that You love me and I am one of Your miracles. Amen.

  • Thoughts to Ponder •

  Have you noticed that when you’re worn down emotionally that’s the exact moment in time when the devil hits you with ideas that wound your heart? At those times, have you wondered if you were valuable to God? Have you ever thought of yourself as a miracle? How can you rest in the fact that you are special to God?

  25

  DAZZLE

  Replacing Fear

  The Rocky Mountain peaks that rimmed the Flathead Valley were already covered with snow, and a brisk November breeze whispered through the pines. Although it was sunny outside, the weather forecast said a winter storm would move in later that day. Pulling my protective earmuffs on, I grabbed the pneumatic nail gun and stepped up a couple of rungs on the ladder next to the new addition on the barn. I was nailing up the last of the sheets of siding, and I wanted to get it finished before the storm hit and winter set in. I glanced across the pasture at the horses and mules that were munching down hay.

  I wonder what Dazzle is going to do when she hears the nail gun? My other horses were used to the sounds of rifles, pistols, and other loud noises. I’d only owned the black two-year-old Tennessee walker mare a couple of weeks, so I wasn’t sure how she’d react to the sharp report from the nail gun that sounded like a gunshot. Will she take off running? My fences were good and tight. She was familiar with them, so I didn’t think she’d try to blast through them. But she might do a few laps around the acreage before she calmed down.

  The air compressor kicked on, making a loud, sputtering noise. I pushed my safety glasses up on my nose and looked at Dazzle. Her ears were riveted toward me, but she kept eating. Well, that’s good. The noise isn’t bothering her. I leaned my arm against the sheet of siding I had tacked into place. With my other hand I pushed the tip of the nail gun to the siding and squeezed the trigger. Pop! The nail shot true. I paused. My earmuffs silenced the world. Out of the corner of my eye I checked on Dazzle. The mare continued eating like nothing had happened. Well, that’s easy. I shot a few more nails. Still nothing from Dazzle.

  After a few minutes I abandoned my concern about the horse. Locked into my muffled world, I clung to the ladder and drove lines of nails down the siding. Suddenly a warm breath brushed my back and something bumped me. Shocked, I grabbed hold of the ladder and turned. Dazzle stood at the base of the ladder cocking her head side to side, looking at me and the siding. I burst out laughing. Instead of being afraid of a new and unusual experience like most horses are, Dazzle was curious. She bobbed her head at me as if asking what I was doing. Balancing the nail gun in the hand that held on to the ladder, I reached down and stroked her forehead with my free hand. “I’m nailing on the siding so you’ll have a place to get out of the wind this winter.”

  She smelled the gun and then looked at me.

  I laughed. “Okay, silly, although you really should be wearing protective eyeglasses. I’ll show you what I’m doing.” Pressing the tip of the gun against the siding I squeezed off the trigger. Bang!

  My mare stretched her nose forward and smelled the siding where the nail had gone in.

  I rubbed her nose. “See, isn’t that awesome?”

  I pondered her reaction as I climbed down the rungs and scratched her neck. I could take some lessons from her. When I face new, unusual, or uncertain things in life, I’ve sometimes reacted in fear and withdrawn. How many opportunities have I missed out on because I did that? I wondered. Fear dissolves my hope for a better future. Why do I jump to fear as my first reaction instead of being curious like Dazzle? That thought ran through my mind for the next couple of days. Th
e truth became so clear when I read Romans 8:15: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ ”

  Throughout the Bible, God commands us to “fear not.” We’re to look at the world through eyes of faith, which fills us with hope. My focus in difficult situations was my choice, and I’d chosen fear. I can change my response any time I want to. I decided it was time to make a conscious decision to develop my curiosity so I will be fueled by hope.

  Lord, show me areas in my life where I hold back because of fear. Fill me with so much curiosity that I brim with hope. Amen.

  • Thoughts to Ponder •

  When you’re faced with uncertain circumstances, what is your first response—fear or curiosity? Why do you usually choose that? What would a reaction based on faith look like?

  26

  FORGING AHEAD

  Breaking Free

  The door on the 1972 Chevy pickup truck groaned in protest as Wendy slid onto the driver’s seat and pulled it shut. She turned the key. The truck belched to life, blowing a cloud of exhaust into the cold air. The engine rattled as the tires crunched through the snow. Wendy shifted into first gear and pulled into the narrow lane. She was headed to the top pasture where her husband, Gary, who was standing in the back of the pickup, would toss out hay for the horses while she inched the truck forward. She glanced in the rearview mirror. A small group of young mares restlessly wandered in the corral. This day would be the first time she’d feed this little band in this pasture. She watched the new mare. God, watch out for Dandy. Please lead her so she finds her way around her new surroundings.

  Back in the fall, Wendy had purchased Dandy as a broodmare. She’d searched high and low for some good bloodlines to add to her breeding program, and this mare’s pedigree was tops. She would also add a rare and beautiful color to Wendy’s herd. She was a “grulla,” meaning she had tan-gray fur and a dark dorsal stripe that ran along the top of her back from her black mane to her tail. She even had black “zebra” stripes on her legs. The best part was that the owners had been selling the mare at a drastically reduced price. They said it was because of an injury she’d had on a hind leg, which left behind some bulging scar tissue. Wendy was familiar with that type of wound. It wouldn’t interfere with the mare’s ability to be a good broodmare, so Wendy purchased the horse sight unseen. But the owners hadn’t divulged the mare’s biggest handicap.