Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:405 (NLT)
As always on our first full day in Guatemala, we spent the day doing touristy things in order to have some time to recover from our travels and to acclimate to the elevation and time change. At the coffee plantation, we had three choices of how to spend our time: experience the zip line, tour the coffee plantation or new this trip, horseback riding. I am sure it is not too hard to figure out which one I chose! Three of us put on helmets and mounted our steeds. I had a small sorrel colored horse, but my two friends rode big brown mules. I loved watching how their oversized ears twitched and turned as they listened for sounds. We rode up into the hills that surround the coffee plantation. Much of our ride was on cobblestone roads and the clip clop of the hooves against the stones was very soothing. We had a different view of the plantation than I have had before both on foot and from the zip line. As we travelled, we discovered a small village behind the coffee plantation that we never knew about. The children were eager to see the horses and called to us as we rode past. They were getting their bathes in the creek while their mothers washed clothes beside them. While we rode, we were tethered to our guide who rode his horse before us and led our horses behind him. At first, I was a little insulted. After all, I have my own horse and ride fine alone. But, then, I realized how peaceful it was to be able to ride without worrying where we were going or controlling the horse. I could still enjoy the ride without the concerns of the route ahead of us. It occurred to me that this is much like what God asks us to do. He offers to guide and direct us. All we have to do it trust Him and go along for the ride. Still, we often rebel and want our own way. Peace only comes when we surrender and accept that He does know what is best for us. It is the same for the team members who zip lined and trusted their guides for safety and security. They believe that the guides are skilled at their job, have practiced the course and tested the equipment. Just like we can trust our zip line guides to care for us, we can trust that God will watch over us. And like the group taking the coffee plantation tour, we have to listen to His instruction. We passed them as we rode, and they were attentive and asking questions. God not only wants to guide us, to care for us, but He wants to instruct us as well. It is our choice whether we will do so. After horseback riding, lunch at McDonalds, we spent some time in the market. Tomorrow, I will see the children and Nanny Christy. I can’t wait.
Leave a Reply