07/27/2019
This post reminds me of Tracy Couch! Dona Kay Rule! My Mom! Stana Lee! Kim booth! Greggs!! Derek! And so many others!!
https://www.facebook.com/111200460/posts/734416128143?s=675959107&sfns=mo
The Journey Isn’t Meant to be Traveled Alone
In 2015, I decided to take the plunge and buy some young horses to train for myself with the ultimate goal of competing at futurities. I’m sure as some point the how’s, why’s, and “what have I done” of that idea will be discussed, but that’s for another time. My point today is discussing the importance of having people that motivate and encourage you when things don’t go as planned, because let’s face it God and horses both laugh at our plans. Nothing over the last four years went as I expected; my first filly made a nice horse but I couldn’t get out of “trainer” mode so we traveled at the speed of smell the handful of times I was brave enough to enter her. So, I sold her, the next filly literally didn’t want to be a barrel horse, she started out super promising but she decided against putting forth any effort around June of her three year old year. That particular filly led me into the dark hole of self-doubt; discouraged and defeated nearly every day when I stepped off of her, I questioned EVERYTHING.
From that darkness I learned many valuable things that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
1) You. Must. Have. People. When things are going well it’s easy to become self-reliant. There’s that old saying “it’s lonely at the top,” that is total crap. If you’ve achieved any level of success there’s going to be at least one person that is partly responsible. Even if your story starts on how someone did you wrong, guess what they still taught you something! But seriously, people are a necessity.
2) Real friendship is RARE. When you’re at your lowest and someone is “taking it personal” that you’re not acting like yourself, RUN the other way, that’s not friendship. Friendship is sitting on the phone for an hour discussing for the forty seventh time that this mule headed filly has talent but no drive. I’m talking that friend that will send you an article at 5am when they first get up because it made them think of the issue you’re having with your filly. Or sends you a motivation quote at 4:30pm because they know without asking that you’re headed home to ride. Heck even that friend that finally says “Liz, just move on, you want it more than the filly does.” The friend that is earnestly concerned about your wellbeing mentally, physically, and spiritually is not on every corner I assure you, but when you find it grab with BOTH hands.
3) God is where you put Him in your life. This is the most difficult for me to discuss because I still struggle with it the most. When things start going wrong you almost immediately question “why me God?” “where are you God?” “give me a sign God?” Listen close when I say, its okay to have those questions, its okay to feel those feelings. Jesus cried out on the cross “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46) Obviously a very different context than being upset over a bad run or ill willed filly; but my point is, feeling like you’ve been deserted by God is something that happens to everyone. Remember though, the Bible says “He will not leave nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6) Also, when you’re going through those times when you’re questioning everything, you have to stop and do an inventory of your heart. Are you seeking God’s will or your “wants”? It says in Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” Bottomline, no matter where you are, you’re never alone, and God’s got a plan.
Whatever journey you’re on there’s going to be difficult days, days where you don’t know why you started or how you’ll ever make it. Those are the days when the journey cannot be traveled alone. ~E
