Spinning in Circles

Volunteering at a horse rescue farm has opened my eyes to many lessons about life. Jerry’s experience helped me understand how God is watching out for us.

One of my regular tasks at the horse rescue farm is to feed the horses. A smaller square-shaped paddock with a walk-in shed is the home of a beautiful white horse named Jerry. Though he is no longer a young horse, Jerry holds his head high and can strike quite a pose when he wants to. He shares his paddock with three other gentle old horses, all of whom have been given sanctuary.

Things are usually peaceful for Jerry and his companions until feeding time. The complicating factor is that all four horses are blind.

Feeding time

Each horse knows to come to a certain bucket mounted on the iron fence to get its food. Jerry’s bucket is the last one near the corner. In order to get there, Jerry used to inch along behind the other three horses and try to feel his way between them and the walk-in shed. This method worked well until the last horse Jerry had to pass decided to give Jerry a swift kick each time he tried to pass. Jerry learned quickly that this well-known route was no longer safe.

The next time I went to feed Jerry and the other horses, Jerry heard me fill the buckets with grain. He heard his own bucket being filled with grain. He heard the other horses eating their food, but Jerry was stuck in darkness. He didn’t know a safe route to take. He didn’t want to get kicked again, but he couldn’t figure out how to get what he needed.

Who would help him? Was anyone there? Was it even possible to get food without getting hurt? In frustration, Jerry began to nicker and spin in circles.

Elizabeth to the rescue

I wanted very much to help Jerry, but I was not prepared to go into a paddock with a thousand-pound blind horse spinning in frustration. I didn’t know how to help Jerry. That was when my friend Elizabeth came to the rescue. She had dealt with horses most of her life and knew exactly what to do.

Elizabeth got a handful of grain and slowly walked toward Jerry. As she approached, she talked very calmly and quietly. When Jerry smelled the grain, his spinning slowed. Jerry heard Elizabeth’s voice and quieted himself so that he could hear her better.

When Jerry stood still and faced her, Elizabeth held out the grain. Smelling its sweet aroma, Jerry lowered his head and took a small taste. As Elizabeth continued to speak quiet, peaceful words to Jerry, she reached up and took hold of his halter. She gave it a gentle tug forward, and Jerry slowly began to walk with her as she led him around the other side of the shed to his food bucket.

There was plenty of open space on that side of the shed and no horses to kick Jerry as he passed. Although Jerry couldn’t see this new route to take, he stepped forward in faith, trusting Elizabeth to lead him to his food.

God knows

How many times do we become overwhelmed with our problems or allow ourselves to get swallowed up in darkness, spinning in frustration like Jerry because we don’t know what to do? Do we believe that God sees what is happening to us?

Peter wrote, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12). Psalm 33:18 states, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.”

God certainly is watching all that is going on and knows about our trials and frustrations.

The Israelites were not sure God was watching when they were camped near the Red Sea and saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them. They became very fearful and cried out to the Lord (Exodus 14:10). Moses told them not to be afraid, to calm down. He told them to be still, to stop spinning in circles. He also told them to be quiet and see what God would do for them (Exodus 14:13-14).

One of the reasons we sometimes become so worried and frustrated is because we are looking at our circumstances through human eyes using human reasoning. God tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways … for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

God can see the things we cannot. He sees the whole picture and is not limited as we are. God may have a solution in mind that hasn’t occurred to us. Do we limit ourselves by not stepping out in faith? Do we allow God to guide us down the straight and narrow path of His perfect will? Do we trust that He has our best interest at heart?

Read more about how we can grow to believe and please God more in the section of Life, Hope & Truth about “Faith.”