walking beside them

Carl had just proposed to Alyssa, and she had accepted the proposal!

They had decided to get married soon, and Carl knowing that his wife-to-be loved horses decided to purchase for her a new baby colt as a wedding gift. He went out and found the ‘perfect’ baby colt, purchased it and took it home. He then went about attempting to ‘break in’ the colt so that he might lead the colt around by a rope, and present the new colt to his wife ‘in style’.

Standing in his fence enclosed pasture, at home, he places a lasso around the colts neck, and attempted to walk the horse forward. Upon the rope reaching it’s length, the lasso tightened, and the rope was pulled from Carl’s hand. ‘Why wasn’t the horse moving along with him?’ Carl thought. Taking up the rope again, and getting a better hold upon it, Carl again started walking, and again the horse did not move with Carl. So when the rope became taut, he pulled a little more forcefully in an attempt to get the horse moving. The horse, instinctively, dug his heels in, and pulled against Carl’s attempt to pull him. ‘Fine you want to play’ thought Carl, who then proceeded to have a tug-o-war with the baby horse.

He pulled, and pulled, and actually was able to drag the horse across the dirt, and thin grass, of the pasture, but at times was also pulled by the horse as well. Unknown to Carl, Alyssa had stopped by to say hi, and she had proceeded to find him, and ended up, to lean on the fence around the pasture, and was observing the scene.

The tug-o-war continued, and Carl was getting frustrated, and tired as well. The Colt didn’t look tired at all, and Carl knew that the horse would soon easily 'win the war'. Knowing that he couldn’t allow the horse to think it was the master in this relationship, Carl started to jerk on the rope, instead of simply holding a constant pressure. The horse jerked back, and thus it continued for a while. Then Carl decided that maybe he should attempt to throw the horse off balance and win. So he started weaving back and forth while pulling. In do doing he did throw the horse off balance, and the horse was dropped to the ground onto his side.

Carl let go of the rope to run over and check on the welfare of his newly purchased ‘present to be’. The colt scrambled up easily, unhurt, and just fine. He then welcomed the soft voice of compliments, a loving rubdown, and the care Carl showed to him then.

Just then Carl noticed Alyssa leaning on the fence to which he stated.“You’re not suppose to see him till he’s trained, and ready to be your present”

To which she replied, “Looks like you’re doing a fine job at that too. Mind if I watch the rest of your ‘training’ him?”

“No I don’t mind” Carl stated, then proceeded to take up the lasso again, and walk forward with it once more. The second, Carl, again got the rope taut, and pulled on it once, the colt drop again to its side.

Laughter burst from Alyssa, and Carl had nothing to do but laugh himself. Again after the horse had scrambled to its ‘feet’, Carl was beside him, and ‘played the game’ of telling him what a beautiful horse he was, and rubbing him down.

Then it struck him. He continued to rub the horse down, and continued to speak praise in his ear. Then he started walking forward, and the horse started walking beside him! Making his was to the fence, he turned, and the horse turned too. He then proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the pasture. Three laps he made, and in so doing took up the rope easily, but just continued to walk beside the colt, giving him praise.

Stopping beside his wife-to-be, he helped Alyssa over the fence, handed her the rope, and together they, all three, walked around the pasture with no problems.

“Happy wedding gift” Carl stated as he handed Alyssa the rope.

“Thank you. He is beautiful, and you’ve done a wonderful job of training him”



If you want to make an impression on someone, rather then taking an aggressive stance and attempting to just force people into your way of thinking, it is much easier to befriend him or her, and then walk beside him or her on the journey. That’s what Christ has offered to do for us in our lives if we just allow Him to be beside us. I’ve even heard that when things in life get real rough, and they will, He is willing to carry us.