A Horse is A Horse of Course of Course

Do you know anything about horses?

Thanks to a new Spiritual Directee I have recently had the opportunity to learn quite a bit about these magnificent animals.

When a trainer is working with a horse for the first time, he/she begins a process that is in fact the establishment of a relationship. The horse has to come to trust the trainer in order to submit to them. The process is quite interesting. Because of where the horse’s eyes are set on their heads they can only see what is in front of them up to a certain distance. Once you get too close, they can’t see anymore. For this reason, the horse will usually run when they feel the touch of someone on their head. However, if they are able to build a relationship of trust, they will come to recognize the touch of the trainer, and rather than run, they allow the trainer to work with them as closely as needed.

Isn’t this the story of all of us who seek to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God?

God touches us, and so often we run. The horse trainer learns that the most effective approach is to back off, and allow the horse to turn and come to them. Over the course of time and experience, trust begins to grow until they recognize that touch. Doesn’t God do the same with us? Isn’t the whole process the same?

God touches us, and we run. He backs off and lets us recognize him from a distance and invites us to come closer. Something blocks our vision too, and when he gets too close we often don’t recognize his touch. Once we do, we are able to likewise turn our will and our lives over to him and allow him to work with us as closely as needed.

The big question is: what blocks our vision?

Most often it’s our egos: egos that we have built in response to fear…egos that hide all the negative things we have embraced about ourselves in response to our fears. This human drama sets itself squarely in our view, and we can’t see that hand of God when it comes near to touch us.

The horse looks at its master first with one eye, out of the side of their head. They look questioningly at what the master is up to, and begin the process of building trust with an air of curiosity mixed with doubt. We do the same thing.

We look at God with one eye, turning our head in the other direction. We look over to see what he’s trying to do. We look with caution and weigh some risks. Those pesky fears are still there though, and to look at God head on we absolutely cannot avoid dealing with them.

Let’s all strive to learn a lesson from the experience of the horse. When this beautiful animal places its will and its life in the care of its master everything changes. It’s a doorway to a new and better life. It will be no different for us!