All good horses buck in the beginning, but some of them never stop. Joey was one of those. Some days Joey would be lopin’ along like a seasoned cow horse when…hang on!...he’d break in two, making his rider grab for leather. Joey was always looking for an excuse to explode.
One day, when a cowboy friend of mine was riding Joey, something snuck up behind them and that was all the excuse Joey needed. He bogged his head and quit the earth, turning his belly to the sun. He ducked to the left as he landed and squealed, shooting up again like a fishing cork. That bronc was hanging high in the air with every jump; as he came down the third time, he drew back. That trick shook the cowboy loose. Joey’s next dive planted his head in the dirt. The dust finally settled with Joey holdin’ his head high, both ears locked on the cowboy, who was sitting on the ground -- dazed but still clutching a rein.
The landing had come mighty close to breaking the cowboy’s neck. It made good sense to walk home. But he’d rode other broncs and learned from them that it’s better to face what you are afraid of. So he climbed back on.
We all get ironed out sometimes. Sooner or later, we find ourselves laying there with the wind knocked out of us, spitting dirt and wondering how it happened. It can be as small as a bad grade or as painful as the death of someone close. No matter how safe we think we are, things are going to bust loose every now and then. When you get bucked off, get right back on. You’ll have ‘im rode if you keep your mind in the middle…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12: 2
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