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Yesterday our daughter Shaiya began riding lessons at a local farm as she is trying to prepare herself to properly take care of her horse when she is able to get one. She also has a thoughtful friend from our congregation who is giving her riding lessons on a periodic basis. What is ironic is that her new teacher lives a mile or two up the road from where we just moved from and we had no idea that she was a riding instructor. We lived at our previous home for 2 ½ years and I suppose had we known about this instructor then Shaiya could have taken lessons before. I am very pleased with the teacher as she is knowledgeable and friendly and what is really great is that her tuition is $15 per hour or $20 per 1.5 hour and this is an affordable rate in our local area. Shaiya has not taken riding lessons previously because they were simply out of our budget. Sometimes basic tuition could be $30 or more each week and we just could not fit this into our budget.
Shaiya has dreamed of owning a horse for many years. I once said to her that if she wanted a horse badly enough and if it was God’s will for her life, then one day she would be able to have her own horse. She is entering her first year of high school this year and I knew that if my husband and I could not buy her a horse, then one day after she graduated then she would have enough determination to obtain her own horse. A few years ago I let her know that she should prepare to own a horse and so she has been stocking her personal library with educational materials on horses and she has been collecting tack and supplies. My younger sister once owned two horses and after she became pregnant she sold her horses and gave her new barrel racing saddle and collection of tack to Shaiya.
Shaiya also actively participates in 4-H Horse and Pony events. This year she was on the intermediate Hippology team and competed at Purdue University. This year she will move to the senior team. At the Hippology Bowl at Purdue, she scored roughly in the middle of all the participants and I was pleased with this as this was her first year competing. At the regional competition, she scored well and she earned a higher score than a few other competitors who have been competing several years. We were very proud at how hard she has worked in her study of horses. I guess that Shaiya knows quite a bit of basic knowledge about horses but she still has a great deal to learn. The past two months she has worked very hard on her application packet to the Indiana Quarter Horse Award. She is competing to win a registered Quarter Horse that is being offered by the Indiana Quarter Horse Association. If she is chosen as a finalist, then she will go to the Indiana State Fair to compete. The horse is a yearling therefore it will need to be shown the first year in halter and it would have to be sent to a horse trainer for training before it could be saddled. I am not positive, but I think the horse cannot be rode until its third year or maybe later into its second year. We have visited the horse that is being offered and it is a beauty. Shaiya worked very hard on her essays and we figured if it was God’s will, then Shaiya would win this horse and that if it was not God’s will then we would have to be patient and wait for what is best. When we moved to this farm, we knew that a door may open for us to have a horse. Afterall, you cannot just let a good barn and pasture sit empty for too long!
Yesterday something arose out of the blue that has surprised us quite a bit. Shaiya’s new instructor gave her a phone number for a local couple who breed Quarter Horses and desired to give one of their horses away to a good home. Shaiya called them yesterday to inquire about the horse and last night our family went to visit this couple for around 3 hours. We are prayerfully considering bringing one of their horses home. This retired couple owns several beautiful horses with good breeding and excellent confirmation and they are a gracious Christian couple. They welcomed us into their home and were very friendly. I am continually amazed at all of the Lord’s servants and how kind believers can be to one another. They seemed to be pleased with Shaiya’s knowledge and love of horses. She asked many questions and spent quite a bit of time pondering if this could be a good fit for her. The couple was very nice and at first they were offering one specific horse but then they let Shaiya have her pick of the horses on the pasture. Once horse seemed to really like her and it walked up to her and followed her a bit. My husband also spent some time with the horse and he thinks it is a wonderful horse. For a moment, I thought it was very surreal to be standing with my family after listening to Shaiya’s dreams for so many years and that God may open this door and hand her one freely. We still need to pray and really consider this offer but our hearts are filled with thankfulness that this kind couple would be so gracious to give our daughter a registered Quarter Horse.
I have no doubt that our family can care for a horse now that we have a modern barn and pasture. My only concern is that we seem to be experiencing a drought here in Indiana and hay prices are rising. A friend let me know yesterday that hay that used to sell for $3 a bale at the sale barn is now $11 a bale. I have also heard many are concerned whether or not people will be able to get a 2nd or 3rd cut of hay because we are not experiencing enough rain. In the winter, the horse will eat a bale of hay every 3 days along with grain. We strive to be good stewards and we want to make sure we have the ability to properly take care of the horse. One of our good friends recently sold all of their cattle and miniature horses because of the price of hay and the quantity they need to care for their animals. We have been researching all of the costs involved in the care and upkeep of a horse and this is something that we would like to make happen for our daughter. The owner of our property just had the hay cut in his fields and so we may be able to obtain some hay from him at a decent price. This is something that we will have to wait and see if it might be possible. One thing is for sure, if the Lord opened the door for us to have the horse, then we will just have to be patient to see if we have the provision made for the horse. I know that we cannot afford to buy hay at $11 a bale but maybe another door will open and we can find it at an affordable price. Thankfully the horse would be able to feast on the pasture until the winter. We have been informed that this property has excellent pasture land.
We have a lot to prayerfully consider over the next week or so. I am very proud of Shaiya and her level-headedness that she seems to display. I thought she would jump up and down at the opportunity that she has always dream of but she seems to be self-controlled and seriously contemplating the responsibility. She wants our family to make a good decision. This is her dream but she is willing to sacrifice her dream for now if this is something our family could not afford. In some ways, I can see that the hard times we have experienced over the years have truly been good for our family and even our children. In the lean times we have learned to be content and we have learned how to make due with what we had. In the good times we have learned that provision is for God’s will and that we have to be thankful stewards because all things come by the hand of the Lord.I suppose seeing her reaction causes me to really want to work hard to see her have this blessing. I do work from home part-time already to help our family’s budget. I have also been thinking recently that Shaiya and I could start a part-time cleaning business two evenings a week using non-toxic, biodegradable, natural cleaners. I even thought of a real corny name – The Green Cleaning Team. I know that is goofy… my family rolled their eyes at the name but I think it is kind of cute. Another option we have is to sell some of our organic heirloom produce and healthy baked goods at the Farmers Market.
When I was Shaiya’s age, I was such a spoiled brat because my mother worked hard and gave me most everything I wanted. I was not thankful. During those years, I was not a believer and I was a self-centered monster really. I went to public high school and was very materialistic. I wore expensive clothes, shoes, and jewelry and now I find it hard to believe how much money my mother spent on me and how hard she worked to buy me trivial things. I was such a horrid little brat. My poor mother felt guilty for all of the hours she worked plus I think she felt sorry for me because my dad had a heart-attack and died when I was in fifth grade. In my teen years my mother thought she could show her love by all the nice things she bought me. The Lord in His great mercy was so good to redeem me and make me a new creation and renew my heart. My daughter is such a different person than I was at her age. She is thoughtful and considerate and she does not ask for much. If we do get her something she is very thankful. She works hard and I think she deserves the best but I can see the hand of the Lord in her life. The hard times have molded her character and this has given her an inner beauty that I pray the Lord will cause to take deep root so that she can always live in His blessing. Michael and I continually pray that our children will choose the right path, the path of blessing, and cling to the Lord. We have witnessed so many good youth go astray from their parents teaching and admonition. Each day we just have to pray that our children’s hearts will be a fertile field and that we will sow good seeds of teaching that God will cause to grow according to His will and purpose.
So if I can say anything to encourage you today it would be this...
Do not worry if you cannot buy your children all that they want or even some of what they need. Sometimes the lean times really help us to grow fully dependent on the Lord and it may also help families to work together as a unified team. If you are in a rough spot financially, do not fret thinking you are short-changing your children or even that you might need to put your children back in public school so that you can go to work again full-time. Lean times can help forge good character.
Here is a blessing from God’s Word:
Psalm 128 A Song of Ascents. How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. The LORD bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
May the Lord bless you today and everyday!
Blessings,
Sharra
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