Streams Of Mercy, Never Ceasing, Call For Songs Of Loudest Praise!

God is good! Every day He speaks, and while I may not always be tuned to listen, He is patient and faithful to teach. I never thought I would have joy about God breaking what I have built so He may build instead. But as He reveals the steps to me of what He has in store, I cannot help but be full of excitement and anticipation despite the pain of losing so much.

This is happening with my horse training. From the beginning He made sure I had a teacher and a mentor who was faithful in Christ and knew how to teach through the Lord. And even though I wandered from what I first knew, He is drawing me back and teaching me so much about how wrong I was doing things.

You see, horse training is so fascinating because it so resembles how people are taught. It is a tool the Lord has used to give me vision. It is a never ending process and every individual reacts differently and needs different tools to grow. Where I went wrong was with tools. Just as we stand on a foundation, a rock, of Jesus Christ who has saved us by grace and love, so does horse training stand. Once this foundation is recognized, it can then begin its work.

Nothing can escape grace and love. It does not have to say you are wrong, it leaves it out in the open, exposed to light, and leaves no hole for sin to hide in. These are the most difficult stages.

In these stages (for people and horse alike) you will see many behaviors that are shocking, hurtful, full of fear and even defiance. The consequences of these actions will come and many times are met with discipline. But somewhere along this path we will realize how futile it is. This opens the door for growth and learning. Here training begins. Here are our first steps of faith.

At this time our leader is accepted. There will be bumps along the way, as none are perfect, but we begin with small steps. As confidence builds in the one who leads us we do not just become more trusting, we become more eager. Thus, we mature. Daily being taught, daily doing what we know pleases the one in leadership.

In this process most (including myself) get lost in the second stage. It is easy to see a problem exposed to the light, but how to handle it? It is not by force we change these things. Only grace and love, the kind found in The Father, can bring us to understand the truth of the greatness of following and being changed. The tools used are little. Small tugs, light taps, a still, quiet voice.

My favorite thing when training is to see an eager horse. Recently I began teaching my gelding to bow. It took him quite a while to figure it out, but when he did, he bowed twice as low as the times before, knowing it pleased me for him to do so. He learned a glimpse in that moment of how our entire relationship will eventually be.

To know in something so relatively insignificant joy can be found, how much more should there and will their be in God! In looking to the future, I cannot wait to be closer to my God. And as He transforms my training, he transforms my sight not just to solve the problem, but to understand it and let Him transform the heart. He guides every piece, down to my fingers and toes, and forever may He do so!


Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise his Name, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.