But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” Joshua 22:5 (NIV)
My barn is just a pole barn and has no sides to it. The wind and rain can blow right through and as we experience our first winter with the horses here at home, we have been keeping close tabs on the weather. My friend, Andrea, worries about her horse Indy’s comfort on colder nights. The temperature is usually mild in Florida winters and rarely drops below forty degrees, but Indy is a hot-blooded Paso Fino used to temperate climates. His coat is thin, and he is small in stature. Indy is also almost eighteen and his stamina is not what it used to be. Trucker is younger and larger. He has a thick heavy winter coat and is very wooly. I do not fret about him as much as Andrea does about Indy. Usually, we leave the horses out in the pasture at night, but sometimes when it is windy or the temperature is dropping, Andrea will put a blanket on Indy and leave him in his stall where she has draped tarps over the gates that form the enclosure. From his stall, Indy stares forlornly at Trucker as he wanders freely and enjoys the grass. When left inside, Indy gets very mad. He does not like being shut up and lets us all know about it. He knocks his feeder off the rail, tips over his water bucket and spreads manure from one end of his stall to the other. In the morning, he is as sullen as a teenager who has been grounded for misbehavior. When I go out to feed after Indy has been in all night, Trucker usually meets me at the gate. It is almost as if he is saying, “Please get him out of there so I don’t have to hear him complain anymore.” When Andrea chooses to leave Indy in the barn, she is not doing it because she is angry with him or wants to make his life miserable. She does it for his protection and to keep him safe from the winter winds. Indy may think he is being punished or ignored, but he is really in the best place he can be. Complaining doesn’t help matters. Andrea knows best. Are you like Indy? When God sets limits for you to shelter you do you whine and gripe? When He places you in a situation to teach you a lesson or to guide you to the right choice, do you become angry and sullen? Remember that God knows what is best for us, sees the future and wants to bless us with good things and a full joy filled life. He only asks that we obey, love and serve Him. Accept His guidance, His correction and His shelter with a grateful heart knowing that He acts for your safety and well-being. Don’t act like a grumpy old horse left shut up in the barn on a cold winter night. Be glad for your nice warm spot and give thanks.
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