Wednesday, April 28, 2021 (today’s lectionary)
Menagerie
The word of God continued to spread and grow.
Miles sat very straight. His smile was a mile wide. His teacher Ariya threw purple and pink blankets over two little horses, then cinched on a couple of saddles with pint-sized stirrups, and Miles hopped on. Jasper had a little help. Just like that, they were ready for their first riding lesson.
They were both riding high. I was struck by how comfortable they both looked. Jasper rolled naturally with the horse’s movement (his horse’s name was Star), so smoothly up and down. No pain. Then I remembered he had on a diaper. A nice pad, just where he needed it. He’ll be two in July, and he looked like he was born to ride that little horse.
Riding Dawn, Miles bounced too, a bit. He’ll be five in November. Ariya showed him how to turn the horse with his reins. He figured out how to keep the reins close, keeping them hooked behind the saddlehorn. We walked beside them, and Miles told us everything he had just learned.
May his face shine upon us, so may your way, O Lord, be known upon earth, among all nations, your salvation.
When their half hour was over, it was nearly nap time. Jasper cried. Aki said, “Say goodbye, Jasper. Bye bye, Star.” Jasper stopped crying long enough to wave and say, “Bye bye, Star.” Awesome … maybe the first time he put that many words together.
Andi had riding lessons when she was a young girl. I’m sure yesterday she was remembering. I hope ATHaight’s Ranch and Rescue becomes part of their lives in Austin.
May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
What a fine day! At Sweet Eats we picked strawberries, very very red strawberries. Both boys love excavators, and they took turns (kind of) turning the wheel of a small tractor hooked up to a smaller chisel plow, sitting in the meadow. I grabbed a chicken’s tail, and after I calmed her down, we took turns petting her soft feathers. She had bright orange eyes that made me a little nervous.
At the horse ranch we spent a long time feeding goats, petting horses and mules and donkeys, and listening to the turkey and the chickens. I loved being around all the animals. For awhile I sat on the ground outside the goat fence. The goats came up, and the boys came down, and we pulled a little grass and hoped we would not get eaten ourselves.
A big beautiful white dog named Maya accompanied us everywhere. A neighborly black and white cat asked to be picked up and stroked, over and over. A dozen guys were replacing two hail-damaged roofs the whole time we were there. A black Clydesdale nuzzled my hand, hoping for a carrot. Miles and Jasper were in paradise. Me too.
Alex and Tabitha (ATHaight) would have lost some of their animals during the unprecedented February freeze in Texas. They have nearly 40 horses, 30 goats, plus chickens, sheep, donkeys and one very noisy turkey. But many folks from all around took an animal or two into their garages for a week or so. Ice, no power, no water … but many friends. So many animals, so little time, so much love.
I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
(Acts 12, Psalm 67, John 8, John 12)
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