An old farmer saw the Indian Rain Dance and asked, “How did you know God would show up?” The old Indian Chief looked at him and said, “That’s easy. We dance until it rains.
Visiting with my mother, I commented, “I would love to get back into riding regularly, but there are not many opportunities. This is not a Western world; it is predominantly English or Dressage.” Mom never took a breath. “What you need is a Ms. Mary in your life.” I laughed. “Mom. People like Ms. Mary are long gone. I wouldn’t even know where to start.” My doubt didn’t phase her. “That is my prayer for you. That the Lord bring a Ms. Mary into your life.”
The year was 1988. My father was new to the Midwest but not to horses. He had been horse-breaking for several years, yet he was a young preacher and family man. Money was tight. Bob Madison, a long-time cowboy friend and mentor to my father, walked up to a lady in my father’s church and asked her to let my dad keep his horses in her barn.
Be assured that when you pursue what God has called you to do, He will always send people to row alongside you in the boat. You will never plow alone.
Ms. Mary was a single lady at the time who had just gone through a tragic loss. My folks were a balm for her. Never underestimate the power of fellowship and children’s noises. The corrals were full. Dad had just purchased three two-year-old geldings: Twister, Buck, and Mr. Ed; Mr. Ed never left the farm. He became the babysitter every kid needed. For many years, my father kept his horses at Ms. Mary’s barn at no charge except to care for them.
Her kindness brought a lasting friendship between her and, later, her husband, which is still strong today. Barbeques, pitchforks flying, and many tack room visits for two little girls healed Ms. Mary’s heart.
As a kid, I never saw what her kindness did for our family or how it gave my father the chance he might never have had otherwise. I never would have imagined playing on the horse walker and enjoying afternoon buggy rides pulled by a sassy mare called, Princess, would have left such an impression. Every dream needs a place to cultivate. Ms. Mary gave my father a place.
In 2 Samuel, the prophet Nathan rebukes David for sleeping with Bathsheba. Nathan tells him, “And if all that had been too little, I would have given you more, (2 Samuel 12:8).” God would have given David anything he asked, yet David took what didn’t belong to him. (2 Samuel 11:26- 12:15).
Susanna Wesley’s father, Samuel Annesley, warns her of this. He tells her of a family friend who took what didn’t belong to him. He said, “This is what happens to most of us when we seek God’s will for our lives, but even as we seek it, our inward compass is deflected by our own desires. In the beginning, Cromwell was an honest man, but as he began to have success, his desire for more overwhelmed him.”
I decided perhaps my mother was right. It was already August, and time was stopping for no one. I asked the Lord to provide me with a “Ms. Mary” nearby.
The well is never impacted by the house’s needs. He has plenty!
Jim Stockdale
It was around Christmas time that year when, through an acquaintance, I met a new trainer who had just started at the barn around the road from our home. It turned out she was a Western trainer they had just hired. My friend thought I needed to go check it out.
I carried the information around in my pocket until March of the next year, unsure if my pride would let someone teach me things I already knew, or so I thought. Finally, Chuck convinced me to set up a time to meet her.
I was shocked at how much I didn’t know. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own. I had the most excellent horseman at my fingertips but never took the time to learn the intricate concepts. It was like reading; I enjoyed “riding” but never understood how the sentence was structured.
Own this growing keepsake collection today!
Available locally at the Book Inn, Heaven’s Nectar, and Fayetteville Mainstreet!
or on Amazon!
Own personally from me (signed and shipped!)
BOOK FOUR COMING NOVEMEBER 2024!
The first time I went for a ride, my horse tripped over a timber. The mare went down on her knees, and I went over her right shoulder. As I lay in the dirt with my pride beside me, my new friend walked up and said, “Well, now that we got that out of the way, we can ride.”
It wasn’t long before we headed out into the pasture, each riding our own horse. I will never forget her words the first time we opened the pasture gate to head out: “Let’s go put to rest some of those fears you have.”
As we rode across the pasture, up and down rocky terrain, and through cattle, I casually questioned when she started working at the ranch. Without much thought, she replied, “It was back in October.” I rode on smiling. My mom was right. God sent a Ms. Mary into my life, just like we had asked. God has beautiful treasures for us to enjoy so long as we do not let our compass deflect.
May we live so that God becomes the beginning of every decision, the peace of every moment, our confidence in every situation, and our guide upon which our steps are ordered.
The barn where my sister and I first learned to ride is gone now, but the value of friendships like Ms. Mary lives on. God has given us new barns and tack rooms for our own kids, and who knows, maybe we will be the balm in someone’s life as Ms. Mary turned out to be for us — and she never knew it.
May He grant to you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:4
