Thursday, April 1, 2010

practice

It was a beautiful day to ride so I took it, yesterday. I worked with Jake and Raven. I tested Jake on the Awareness course and he did all the tasks, but the ones I don't have equipment for. I really am just trying to refine what he knows. The same with Raven. Teaching a horse something he already knows to do is more just teaching me to ask at the right time in the right way so that he understands what I am asking him to do. When all the links are connected properly there is a softness about the movement. There is no pushing or pulling, no battle of the wills instead it is as if our wills become one and we both want to do the same thing at the same time. Hence, to someone watching when this thing happens like this the will not even catch the cue. I am ertain that is what God wants of me in my walk with Him. The apostle Paul reminds me of this in Philippians 2 where he tells me to have the same mind as Christ. When I think God's way, then His mind becomes mine, His will becomes my will and I do what He wants me to do. Just like me and my horse. But the one thing that is usually missing is practice. I might know what God wants but not be very good at doing it. For instance, controlling my appetite so that I don't overeat. He tells me not to be a glutton, but I have to practice not being a glutton when I am being tempted to be a glutton. That is, when I am wanting something to eat right before I go to bed. Instead of having that 'Jethro' sized bowl of Rocky Road I should maybe have just a bite or instead have a glass of water. Then go to bed. If I want my horse to do a leg yield I have to set him up for it, get him in position. He has to be soft in my hands, shaped in one direction or the other. I have to be positioned on his back in a certain way so that I don't impede his ability to move like I ask him, and then I have to ask at the right time as he is picking up the correct hind foot. Then I have to release him when he does what I ask. So often though I make the mistake of asking for more than the horse is able to give a the moment then I am forcing him not getting him to work with me on it. So I have to be careful about rewarding when he has tried real good. God does the same with me. If I just take a bite of Ice cream and go to bed. I sleep alot better. I am satisfied for a time. Sure the temptation will be back but it is just another opportunity to practice thinking like Him. So keep up the practice.

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