I had my first child fall off at the ranch.
She came off while working on a cantering lesson. The accident, while it could have been prevented, was one that wasn’t the horse’s or rider’s fault. It was MY fault.
I didn’t shout when I had the chance.
I saw Isaac, the horse, was rushing. I knew he needed to be asked to slow down and collected before trying again for a canter. My child didn’t recognize this and kept squeezing until he trotted faster and faster until she just bounced off.
My calm, easy-going self didn’t take the opportunity I had to holler and command her to slow down. I hate having to get loud… But that would have been the only way to have potentially stopped the crash. We had already talked about not allowing Isaac to rush and she had simply forgotten in the moment of adrenaline rush. If I had spoken up and risked sounding angry (which I wasn’t), I might have saved her some bruising.
Both horse and rider were champs. Isaac slowed down and stood quietly, she caught her breath and got back on and we continued our lesson in a more controlled frame.
For this post, I didn’t have a picture of a child falling off a horse, but I did have one of my sister playing too close to a cliff. I thought my family and I goofing off is a humorous portrait of the power we have to help others.
Looking back, I realize I’m often afraid to speak up when it could make the most difference. I hesitate when I should be shouting. And more often than not, my voice has a power I neglect.
I’ve focused on Scripture saying the tongue has the power of… DEATH. I don’t want death and discouragement to come out of my mouth, so I try to be soft spoken. But God reminded me that I also have power to speak LIFE. And sometimes it’s not only appropriate, but necessary to yell that life out even if it sounds harsh.
Paul stood up and rebuked Peter in front of a group when he saw Peter displaying hypocrisy. Jesus called in a loud voice for Lazarus to come out of the tomb. And the Psalmist says many times to praise the Lord with a festal SHOUT.
I’m asking God to start showing me different areas He’s asking me to speak out and declare His glory. To be alert and call out gossip when I hear it. And to grow in courage to say hard things in love.
Who knows? It might save someone a disastrous crash. Or be the hard turning point to repentance and healing.
Am I willing to be used like THAT?
God, make me BRAVE.
NOTE: Scripture references — Proverbs 18:21; Galatians 2:14; John 11:43; Psalm 98:4
Riding Wild Hope 