Category Archives: Steps Along This Journey

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Watching The Horses “Talk”

It’s pretty much official,…. I’m a Colorado Cowboy! For a few hours anyways, as I was transporting these horses from one Christian camp to another camp several hours away but both in Colorado. Yehaw!

But I’ve always enjoyed watching horses talk to each other, and talk with me as well. You didn’t know horses could talk? Well, read on pardner.

Take a good look at the picture. What do you think the three horses are saying? Here’s what I heard. The horse on the far right, (raring up), has been at camp for months. This is his home, his place, his domain. The other horses have just been dropped off. So he’s letting everybody know that “He’s the MAN!” He’s saying that he’s “top dog” and that if any other horse disagrees, then there’s gonna be a fight.

The horse in the middle has just disagreed. Seconds before this picture, he reached across the fence and BIT, I mean took a big bite out of the other horse on his neck. In horse “talk” that means “Hey, there’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s got teeth, and oh yea, that would be me! I’m taking over!”

The smaller horse is just “egging it on” between the other two. He doesn’t stand a chance in the pecking order because of his size. My good guess is he has an alliance with the bigger horse and wants to “stay buddies” with him. Survival of the fittest right?

Horses “talk” or at least communicate with each other,….. and with me as well. (You too if you pay close attention to their body language.)

Years ago, I was at a men’s retreat in Michigan. Before our meetings began I asked the owner if I could go walk in his back pasture. There had been an early snowfall, about 4 inches and it was really a beautiful site.

As I was just crossing over the fence, one of two horses walked over to me….. and talked. He “talked” like this. He walked over to me, turned and took a few steps away, then turned and looked back at me. (This is “horse talk” for “Hey, follow me”. He wants me to follow him so I did. We walked a short distance across the field to a tree. The horse stopped. The horse looked at me, then looked up in the tree, then looked back at me! (This is “horse talk” for “come here, let me show you something”! He wants me to come closer so he can show me something, so I did. I’m standing right next to this horse that I’ve just met, yet we are communicating with each other. Cool!

He then stretches his neck and head as far as he can into this tree,…… and you guessed it, looks back at me. I look where he’s reaching into this tree and suddenly realize what he is truly wanting from me. This tree is some kind of apple tree, the horses have reached up and eaten all the apples that they can reach. But just inches above his reach are dozens of good tasting apples. So what do I do? I pull off 8 apples and set them on the ground. He immediately begins enjoying his dessert. (don’t think he ever “told” me thank ya tho 😉 )

I holler and whistle at the other horse and say “Hey Horse, you want an apple?” That’s human talk for “Hey Horse, you want an apple”! The other horse comes a trotting over and enjoys himself a sweet snack as well.

When I get back to the owners house, he asks what I’ve been doing. Without thinking about how it would sound, I told him that I’ve been talking to his horses and they had been talking to me.

Do you ever get “that look” from someone. You know, the look they give you when they are trying to decide just how “crazy” of a person you are? Well, he gave me that look,……. with both eyes!

I then explained. “Look, I was walking in your pasture when your horse came up to me and “told” me to follow him,…. follow him to the tree,…… reach up and pick him some of the apples that he couldn’t reach.

Silence…….. He then said, “My horse told you to give him those apples huh?”

My response was, “Well, he didn’t speak in English, but yes with his body language he “talked” with me,……… and he got his apples.

I won’t ever forget what the owner said. In utter amazement he said, “I’ve owned that horse for fifteen years and he hasn’t ever “told” me anything”.

Friends, you don’t have to be the Horse Whisperer to “talk” with horses. You just have to pay attention. Two entirely different creatures, yet they are able to communicate.

Kinda like you and our Heavenly Father. That’s definitely two different creatures right there. One’s an all powerful omnipotent Being, and the other is well, little ole you. But what an amazing event this is to be able to communicate with our God. How do we communicate with Him? Lots of ways. Maybe it’s through prayer, or a song, or a scripture. Maybe it’s just by walking across a pasture, or your living room.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6

Maybe it’s just by paying attention. He may be wanting us to follow Him so He can show us something. Something better than an apple. Think about following Him. It makes a lot of “horse sense”!

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher part time Cowboy

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No Pain, No Gain

You should’ve seen it! A splinter big (and long) as a Q-tip!! Half way in and half way out! It felt that big anyways. Actually a half inch sliver of wood would be more accurate. Funny thing is,…. I didn’t know it was there until…… THE PAIN.

I remember a few days ago, working on some log benches. As my hand slid down the side of the board, I felt the all too common “sting” of a splinter. (You’ve been there, done that right?) Close inspection revealed nothing,…. nada. I couldn’t see anything. It must have stuck in me and then came right back out. Boy was I wrong. How did I know I was wrong? The Pain!

After two days, whatever was in there was needing to come out. Dr. Dan, using my handiest surgical tools, (a fish hook and tweezers) proceeded to filet open the wound, grasp the foreign object, and successfully remove said object (without any whining)! Success!

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Proverbs 4: 20-22

My retired Marine buddy said the other day that pain is “weakness leaving the body”. That got me to thinking. How many times has God allowed pain in our lives, so that we could get rid of some weakness. I wouldn’t say God caused the pain, but just going through our everyday lives and activities, somehow you and I get a “spiritual splinter”. Maybe we grabbed something we shouldn’t have. Maybe something grabbed us! Anyways, you checked around and nothing, nada……….. until THE PAIN.

I hate pain, it brings out the “whiny, whiny” in me. But maybe just maybe, God can and does use our pains to help us see our weaknesses.

The pains in your life whether physical, mental, or spiritual, are there. If that pain is the result of “weaknesses”, then let the ultimate Great Physician remove them. Be attentive to His Word so that you will know when to call on Him for His healing. God’s Word in your life, your heart, your soul,….. It brings life to those who find it.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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Relying On God

This blackbird (aka- grackle) catches my eye. He’s sitting next to the gas pump as if he owns the place. As soon as my truck stops, he does his little parade walk over to the front of my truck.

I immediately begin a conversation with him. “Little birdy, what are you doing walkin’ around my truck at this gas station? Shouldn’t you be flying south for the winter”? Luckily for me, all the other gas customers are too busy in their daily hustle, and hurried lives to see me talking to this bird. Well, Staci sees me and does her eye roll thingy. She’s seen me have conversations with birds and animals before. But hey, I’ve seen her roll down the window as we drive by a donkey and yell “Heeehawww”! So there. 😉

This little birdy doesn’t have time for conversation. He’s busy. Busy eating the grasshoppers that are stuck on my front grill! I’ve got it figured out! This blackbird just sits and waits for the vehicles to pull in, then proceeds to dine on the buffet that is before him. That’s a smart bird.

As my truck is fueling up, I get within thee to four feet from the bird. He’s not scared of me. He’s too busy picking my grill clean of whatever bug swarm I’ve driven through. We say our goodbyes, I get back in the truck, watch Staci roll her eyes again at me (and the blackbird) and continue our travels.

Driving away from the gas station, I look back. There goes the blackbird walking over to the next car. He’s jumped up on the car’s grill. Another bug buffet is on tap. I’m thinking,…….. I need to be more like that bird.

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

Why be more like that bird? Time for me to confess. My prayer conversations to God usually include requests and a few “can I have this” items. It may be some little bitty somethin’ or it may be something big. What’s good is that there IS a conversation with God about my needs and wants and desires and on and on…… What’s bad is I’m beginning to sense is that there is no “eagerly watching……and waiting.”

Kinda like the kid who goes into the candy store with his father. The child says, “Daddy, can I have these jawbreakers”? Before Dad can reply, the child has grabbed a handful of candy. There’s no interaction between son and father. It’s been taken for granted.

Here’s the deal. Maybe all of us should be like this blackbird. He’s used his own smarts to realize there is food at the service station. Then he eagerly watches……and waits. If I use my own smarts to get my spiritual food, I do think that’s good. But when I lose sight that God is my provider and not me,…… well, that’s when it becomes bad. I rob God and myself of that “eagerly watching” that is so important in this living relationship I have with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Lord, I’m sorry when I’ve taken things for granted. Help me with my understanding that watching and waiting are not necessarily bad things. Watching and waiting can and should be times filled with eagerness and anticipation of what You are doing next God. Could You help me to see my times of waiting as times to rely on you. To rely on you with eagerness and excitement. Amen”

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher