IS YOUR SADDLE ON THE FENCE POST?

WHEN I WAS 17 AND FEARLESS..... CARELESS AND INEXPERIENCED IS MORE LIKE IT..... DOWN RIGHT DISOBEDIENT TO THE TRUTH.....

I WAS ASKED TO STAY WITH A GIRL FRIEND FOR THE WEEKEND ON THEIR HORSE RANCH...

I HAD NEVER RIDDEN A HORSE IN MY LIFE.....

NOW THAT I LOOK BACK, SOME OF MY MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS WERE LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCES WITH HORSES.

WE BOTH WANTED TO SPEND THE DAY RIDING. I HAD BEEN ASKED IF I KNEW HOW TO RIDE.... (OH YES, WE CAN ADD THAT TO THE LIST....I LIED SO I COULD RIDE).

WE WERE GIVEN SPECIFIC RULES TO FOLLOW IN REGARD TO RIDING THE HORSES.

FIRST THOUGH I WAS TO HELP MY FRIEND DO HER CHORES BEFORE WE COULD START THE DAY DOING WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.

WELL DOING CHORES OF COARSE WOULD STEAL TIME AND SPOIL OUR FUN. SO WE DECIDED TO DO CHORES AFTER WE RODE.

WE WERE TOLD TO USE THE SADDLES ON THE FENCE... I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE, OF COARSE, ABOUT HOW TO SADDLE A HORSE.

TO COVER MY IGNORANCE I SUGGESTED WE RIDE BARE BACK. SO MUCH I DON'T REMEMBER, LIKE HOW DID I GET ON THAT HORSE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BUT I DID AND OFF WE TROTTED DOWN THE ROAD AND OUT INTO THE OPEN FIELDS. IT WAS HEAVEN TO ME.

MY FRIEND WAS A NATURAL AND I FELT LIKE I HAD MASTERED HORSE RIDING JUST LIKE HER. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT POWER I HAD MOUNTED, AND IT WOULD SOON BE MASTER OF ME.


"I'LL RACE YOU BACK HOME!" MY FRIEND YELLED.

"RACE? !"..."SHE'S GOT TO BE KIDDING!"

THERE I SAT, THE HORSE STILL LAZILY GRAZING ON WILD GRASSES, AND ME DUMB FOUNDED ABOUT WHAT DO I DO TO GET THIS HORSE IN MOTION.


"GIVE HER A KICK JOY, GIVE HER A KICK!"

OK.....HERE WE GO.....MY HEELS CAME DOWN ON BOTH SIDES WITH A HEAVY BLOW. THE HORSE'S HEAD REARED UP IN STARTLED ATTENTION....AND BEFORE I COULD EVEN THINK, SHE WAS OFF LIKE LIGHTNING.



"I'M GOING TO DIE!"...I JUST KNEW I WAS GOING TO DIE.

FEAR GRIPPED MY HEART AS I TRIED TO HOLD ON TO THE HORSES MAIN. THEN MY WHOLE BODY LIFTED UP IN THE AIR AND I CAME DOWN LAYING ACROSS THE HORSES BACK ON MY STOMACH.



I WAS HOLDING ON FOR MY LIFE. ONE HAND ON THE TAIL AND THE OTHER ON THE MAIN.

THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER IS THE HORSE RUNNING UP THE DRIVEWAY WITH ME RIDING BACKWARDS SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS....PULLING ON ITS TAIL, THINKING I COULD COMMAND IT TO STOP.



MY FRIEND WAS LAUGHING SO HARD SHE COULD HARDLY GET HER BREATH.

MY EYES MET WITH THOSE OF HER MOTHER WHO WAS NOT LAUGHING AT ALL. I REMEMBER NO MORE THAN THAT...EXCEPT THAT I NEVER WENT BACK AGAIN.


LORD....SO MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE, I'VE LEFT MY SADDLE ON THE FENCE. YOU HAVE GIVEN US YOUR WORD, YOU HAVE COMMANDED US TO STUDY TO BE APPROVED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING IT. YOU HAVE GIVEN US ARMOR TO USE SKILFULLY IN THE LIVING OF LIFE AND IT'S BATTLES AND CHALLENGES.



IT IS THE SADDLE WITH WHICH WE CAN MOUNT IN FAITH, YOUR POWER THAT EFFECTS THE CALLING TO WHICH YOU APPOINT US.


JUST AS THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO MOUNT A HORSE. THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO MOUNT THE WORKS OF FAITH.


ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE CAN BE DEADLY TO THE SPIRIT. IT CAN THROW US INTO CONFUSION AND LEAD US SPIRITUALLY OUT OF CONTROL...AND BEING DECIEVED, SPEAKING WORDS OF AUTHORITY UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME THAT FAMILIAR SPIRITS ANSWER NOT TO.




SOMETIMES WE FIND OURSELVES HANGING ON FOR LIFE, FEAR GRIPPING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, THINKING, THIS WILL KILL THE IMAGE OF SELF I HAVE PORTRAYED. IT IS THAT SELF THAT NEEDS TO DIE.



IF YOU COME UP RIDING YOUR HORSE BACKWARDS....YOU'LL ALWAYS BE LOOKING BACK AND NEVER KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE GOING. SO LIVE, AND LEARN.



TAKE THE SADDLE OFF THE FENCE....LEARN HOW TO PUT IT ON THE HORSE....LEARN HOW TO MOUNT....KNOW YOUR HORSE....FEEL THE POWER....TAKE THE REIGNS....GIVE THE COMMAND....AND "GOOOOOOOOO!



Would like to say here that there are those who ride with the wind bare back. Oh what joy that would be. That's another story for another day."