Becoming Brave
Prologue
The Prayer
"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for this day. Thank you for my family. Please let me have a dapple grey horse. I really, really want a horse of my own. And they're so beautiful, they're my favorite. Thanks, Jesus. I love you. Amen."
These were the words of little Sarah. She's probably about five or six, dressed in two braids and mud boots, obsessed with Breyer Horses and My Little Pony, and lugging around her stuffed animals to help Mom do the barn chores. That girl is me, by the way. I've grown out of my two braids but the mud boots are still a staple (8 sizes up...).
I had a golden childhood. I lived in a snug yellow farm house with our woods and our orchard. With both parents, two brothers, several horses, a grouchy grey cat and our beloved Retriever Sunshine, one was never lost for company. The street was full of neighbor boys and I fancied myself a tom boy. I also fancied myself a princess. And you better believe I made sure each of them knew it. I loved dressing up and I loved getting dirty. I loved going to church and boy did I love Jesus. I loved climbing the fence and crossing the field to go to Grandma's house. I loved my home, my family. And I loved horses.
By day I'd play Cops and Robbers (or Jedi Knights, or Dinosaur farm... Somehow I was always over-ruled about playing mermaids. #onlygirl), by night I'd turn the light out and rush to my bed to escape the wolf that surely lived in my closet. But then Dad would come in, smooth back my bangs and kiss my forehead and tell me everything was alright. Not a day went by without praying "Now I lay me down to sleep".
And that brings us to this prayer.
"...Please let me have a dapple grey horse. I really, really want a horse of my own..."
What I'm about to tell you is a story of God smiling down at His little girl. And somewhere, in this great wide world, there was a horse just waiting for us to meet...
2004
Comments