Retirement Farm Rainstorm

Our first big rainstorm of the season came and went yesterday with huge claps of thunder and an impressive lightning show.  Since the little retirement farm I built is only six months old, this will be our first winter there, and I was excited to go out and see how the horses and their simple shelter fared!  Once the bulk of the rain passed, I packed up the Rotties in the truck and headed out. 

Most mornings when I get there the horses just saunter over at their own leisurely pace.  Not today!  Chex the pony came galloping down the hill, sliding to a stop through the mud just inches from the fence line.  Joey and Piper did several laps of enthusiastic bucking before they settled down.  As I fed, I noticed their coats wet and glistening from the rain, the only dry parts the underside of their bellies.  

Since all of my life I’ve kept my horses in a barn, with a blanket on, in a box stall or covered paddock, this is a new way of seeing the horses for me.  My first reaction was to think “Oh no, they’re WET!!  Are they cold?  Are they uncomfortable?  How can I dry them off?!?”.   As I fed and watered, the most interesting thing happened.  As the sun shined brightly and warmed their bodies, steam rose off of them and disappeared into the crisp air.  It was simply the most beautiful sight!  I went over to Chex and felt his coat….while the outermost layer was indeed wet, his skin was dry.  And, he was warm!  

I returned to the paddock with the wheelbarrow to clean and was struck by the metaphor of this scene in my life.   When I’m getting pelted by difficult things, my instinct is to cover myself, to take shelter, just like I’ve done with the horses.  How this manifests though is that I tend to isolate and withdraw from people.  I don’t want to be seen in this vulnerable state, dripping wet and soggy in my humaness.  But what came to me as I watched the steam rise off of the wet horses was how on the inside, they were just A-Ok.  Dry.  Warm.  Content.  I didn’t need to fix it by drying them off or putting a blanket on them.  Nature had taken care of that by giving them a coat that could keep them safe from the elements.  I realized that I have that too…my own 'coat', an undeniable sense of resilience and strength that can withstand WHATEVER life pelts me with.  I’ve always had it, will always have it, and you do too.  Venture within….be brave…..God didn’t bring us into this world just to drop us on our heads!  Become still and watch the steam rise from the warm soul of your being, enjoy the sun on your face, and don’t be afraid of the next storm.  You have everything you’ll need to weather it.