Sunday Reflections–Ride to a Spot

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

We worked again with Maritsa and Evan yesterday.  After some initial ground work with the horses they mounted up bareback.  We took the out to the round pen, tied up the lead rope for reins and they rode around the pen again.  They did much better and are beginning to build some muscle memory in their hands, arms and feet.

They were doing well enough that I wanted to challenge them a little.  I picked a spot and told them to ride to that spot.  I told them to keep their eyes, mind, their whole focus on that spot and they were to get the horse to that spot no matter what happened.

The learning for them was that when you ride it’s important to know where you’re going.  It’s the difference between being a rider and being a passenger.  Horses know when your mind wanders and you lose your focus – you become a passenger.  When that happens they get antsy because they feel we’re not in charge.  They’re much happier when we’re a rider and keeping our mind and focus on where we’re going.

My life as a Christian is a lot like that.  As the writer of Hebrews says, we have a “race marked out for us.”  It’s important for me to keep my whole mind, heart and focus on the race marked out for me.  I have to throw off anything and everything that hinders me, causes me to lose my focus.  Sin is the biggest hindrance to staying on the race course.

Or, as we told the kids, God has laid out a spot for me and it’s my job to keep my focus and ride to that spot.