[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Wednesday, October 16, 2013

[Sheila Leigland]

that i  a nice post and God truly knows what we need and is never to 
late or to early.
On 10/16/2013 12:48 PM, Paul wrote:
> Hello and good day to you all.  I hope that your midweek day is going well or about to end.  For those of my readers in Australia and New Zealand, I hope that your Thursday is starting out well, at least when you get the time to read this.
>
> For those of you who sounded concerned about my tummy troubles, I'm doing just fine now for which I thank God and for those of you who prayed for me.  My troubles probably started with food poisoning when, this past Monday, I went to a Panera Bread franchise and ordered a turkey salad with wheat berries in it.  Although it tasted good going down, obviously my internal system didn't agree with that.  Oh well, I'll just have to remember that, when I go back there again, not to order that particular item on the menu.
>
> And now to the short but hopefully inspiring article for today.  It's entitled "A Horse Named Sandy," written by Lisa Gosselin of Westerly, Rhode Island, and is rendered as follows:
>
> No one understood how alone I felt in my grief.
>
> My world revolved around my husband and daughter.  I could not picture my life any other way.  But John became ill and was diagnosed with a serious vascular condition.  Doctors said it was only a matter of time.  Elizabeth was four, too young to understand how sick her daddy was.  For me, one thought blocked out almost everything else:  How would I go on alone?
>
> I tried to keep my spirits up, but John's illness changed his personality.  It became increasingly difficult to be around him.  I longed for a quiet escape.
>
> Just when I felt at my lowest, a friend called with an offer.  "I've rented a farm," she said.  "You and Elizabeth are welcome anytime." Each visit to the farm was a reprieve, and a barn with an empty stall gave me an idea:  a horse for Elizabeth and me.  My friend encouraged me to do it.  I'd loved horses all my life.  The thought of a ride in the woods seemed like heaven.  I'd always felt closer to horses than I'd ever felt to God.
>
> I soon found a promising ad, an Arabian named Sandy, "too quiet" for its owner.  Sandy was handsome, white as a cloud and small enough to be a pony.  He took one look at Elizabeth and me, then lowered his nose to the ground in a welcoming gesture.  I knew he was meant for me before we saddled him up for a ride.
>
> >From then on, whenever we could, my daughter and I would steal away to the barn.  I'd pile her on Sandy's back, and we'd set off for a walk with me strolling alongside.  Hot afternoons we'd go to the stream.  I'd let Sandy eat grass while Elizabeth splashed among the rocks.  I told Sandy how scared I was to lose John, something I could do with no one else.
>
> John died in September 1990.  I didn't want Elizabeth to catch me weeping.  Friends were supportive, but still I felt that no one really understood.
>
> One day I rode off on Sandy.  Out of sight in the woods, I slid off his back and sat on a rock.  I put my head in my hands and grieved.  There seemed no end to my loneliness and tears.
>
> Suddenly, I remembered Sandy.  I worried that my sobbing had upset him, and I looked up.  My horse stood beside me, patient and quiet.  He sighed a rush of warm air across my face, then rested his forehead against my cheek.  Sandy's touch was like an embrace, and he held me in it for a long time.  Sandy was no ordinary horse, and he hadn't come into my life by accident.  He truly was meant for me.  God had led me to him.  He knew I'd need assurance that I was not alone.
>
> I'd never felt so close to a horse--or to God.  I patted Sandy, mounted him, and rode out of the woods with a new awareness of how intimately God knows and understands each one of us.
>
> Afterglow
>
> For Rhode Islanders like Lisa Gosselin, the state may be the smallest in the United States, but it's big in attractions.  For starters, it was one of the original 13 colonies, so there's lots of history, including New England's oldest village (Pawtuxet, 1642) and the nation's oldest schoolhouse (Portsmouth, 1716).  In Newport County, visitors will find George Washington's pew in Trinity Church (1698), the country's first Baptist church (1730), and the oldest synagogue in North America (1763).  There are 400 miles of scenic coastline with more than 100 beaches, and the many nature trails welcome hikers and equestrians alike.
>
> And there you have Lisa's article which I hope you found inspiring.  More information about Rhode Island is, among other things, that it is one of only five U.S. states that don't have the word "state" in its official name.  It was the last of the 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution (1790) because there was no Bill of Rights attached, and they ratified it on that condition.  And let's not forget all those who benefited from something called Pell grants, named for the former Rhode Island U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell.
>
> And now until tomorrow when, Lord willing another Daily Thought message will be presented for your reading pleasure, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul
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