God, Horses And Green Slime

Our custom is to gather together at the El Paisano restaurant on Saturday mornings and have coffee, fellowship and Bible study.  One Saturday morning fellowship included a friend of ours who had come in for the holidays and was staying for a few days.  He happened to be a cowboy and a man who had spent a good deal of his life training horses, mules and donkeys.  He also was a traveler and adventurer and told a fine story.  We had several people there that were city folks, so the conversation of course moved toward the romance of the Southwest, cowboy life, and various tall tales from cowboy folklore.  Our friend was in his element, with his cowboy attire and mannerisms (including the Mexican Spurs which he wore into the restaurant) and the folks were leaning forward listening and asking questions as he was doing his thing.  

Our city friends were enthralled by the stories and the discussion soon turned to the mystic relationship that the cowboy had with his horse.  As talk turned to “the horse whisperer,” Howdy explained that the horse only thought of his owner as a food source.  As long as he had his hay and oats, he was content to stand in the corral and eat and poop.  The horse didn’t know who he was or what his purpose was (other than feeding, breeding and surviving.)  He could be an expensive and well bred horse, but until the master took him in hand and began to teach him who he was and what his purpose was, he was just another expensive hayburner in the corral.  What a profound thought.  And how much more applicable is the principal when applied to people.  How many people in the world don't know who they are or what their purpose is?  How many people who call themselves Christians don't know who God has called them to be or what they are called to do?

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