The Hoof Print

Poetry has never been a strong point in my writing (or even a real interest), however, I have found this year that the Lord gives me a message once written down, it finds itself in rhythm.  Of course, I haven't gotten the stanzas all to match in syllables--so you writing folks out there--I'm an amateur! But there's no denying that He gave me this poem very quickly on my drive home yesterday.  I could not rest or get anything done until I sat down and the words flowed forth, almost effortlessly.  I've edited it a little, but here it is almost exactly as He gave it (read below).

We have to be willing to receive from the Lord and be where He wants us. It takes a daily acceptance and saying "Yes, Lord--I will obey and trust You."   Yesterday, I felt it would be impossible for me to be of any use to the Lord--that my call to ministry would need to be set aside for a time.  I had given all I could and felt I could no longer be effective--so I thought. Yet the Lord answered many prayers and I experienced His work, His grace and His renewal in a very personal, shockingly quick way that has lasted to a new day.  No one can fully comprehend this--unless they too experience the Lord's vibrant work in their lives.  

There are times in our lives we so wonder "why"--every one of us, if we are honest, are going to have those times of "wonder" and even "deaths" (however great or whatever they are) that put us to that question. Yet--in Christ, if we are truly submitting our lives to Him, we realize we have a responsibility to respond to any trial as Christ would and to let His mindset be the "sieve" in straining out our thoughts to only dwell on His truths.  Much of our walking through shadows relies on our being willing to obey Him by faith and not doubt God's mercy, will or sovereignty.     

I hope you will be encouraged and realize, you too are chosen.  We when accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we truly have what we need to make it. He causes us to mount wings of eagles (Isaiah 40:31), soaring above the storm, restoring our strength--when we need to be restored.  He promises that no matter if we take the wings of morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea (Ps. 139:9-10), EVEN THERE, He is with us.  We are never alone and we are so safe within His will. 

I cannot know who reads most my articles or blog posts. I do not know your circumstances, but if you are human, there's probably a few of you out there today that need to be encouraged and experience a renewal.  Seek the Lord with full vigor. He promises to right all wrongs (Romans 12:19), heal the broken hearted (Luke 4:18), restore the weak and provide the grace in measure to each need (2 Cor. 12:9).  Remember when you confess Christ--you are chosen to be His and chosen to dip from His unending, overflowing stores of grace and goodness! Be encouraged, my friend and wait on the Lord--He will not fail you.

I am Chosen

Rebekah L. Holt

I am Chosen

When I confessed my Lord

The Savior of my Life

He died that I might live

Free from sin’s binding strife.

I am Chosen

Restored. Redeemed, Purchased.

His life He gave for mine.

The Amazing story becomes real

As I walk this journey in time.

I am Chosen

Because He loves me deeply

With unfailing, ceaseless love

Faithful to fill me daily

Sending mercies from above.

I am Chosen

To be His cherished one

Experiencing His provision

Overflowing and abundant

No restrictions in what is given.

I am Chosen

And wholly forgiven

Knowing the same measure

I too must all forgive

No wrongs must I treasure.

I am Chosen

To give and give and give

Not fearing slight or shun.

Freely given, freely received

God can never be outdone

I am Chosen

To rise, refreshed again

Triumphant—As He Lives!

A reflection of His Imagine

Submitted to what He gives

I am Chosen

To be joyously filled

To rejoice everyday

To find myself in raptures

Of delights He sends my way

I am Chosen

To keep on going

Tho’ the path the soul tries

His grace is all sufficient

He enables, satisfies

I am Chosen

To sing sweet praises

To the One Who made for me

The sunset and the dew drops

Children who laugh merrily

I am Chosen

To see His beauty

Daily framed in each glance

A world that dazzles, exclaims

Details Handcrafted--not “chance”

I am Chosen

To receive abundance

In kind and thoughtful deeds

By those also Chosen

Dear Believers, indeed.

I am Chosen

To be enriched

By prayers in United Band

These are also Chosen

Extensions of Nail Pierced Hands.

I am Chosen

To know Him

He is enough to fill

Every hole, every void

In storm, in grief or still

I am Chosen

To have no doubts

As to His real, tender care

He knows the very numbers

Of silver threads in my hair

I am Chosen

To wait for Him

His wing beneath to rest

Unknowns may vision cloud

His will is always best

I am Chosen

To see Him work

Every day in my behalf

Whatever guidance needed

He leads me with rod and staff.

I am Chosen

To travel Pathways

Enriched by Kingly gold

Wisdom, charity, peace

Spirit Fruits never old.

I am Chosen

To abide with Him

Every day with Christ Jesus

He lives in me; I in Him

Strength overcoming weakness

I am Chosen

A daughter of the King

Created to do His work

I am made for a purpose.

With His grace I will not shirk.

I am Chosen

You are chosen too

Your unique Life greatly counts

Say “Yes” to Him always

You He never will denounce

Greenwich Park, 2012. The horse strides down the side of the arena, hooves sinking deep into the golden sand, ears flickering gently from one side to the other as he takes in the murmur of a crowd thousands strong. One ear remains always tipped backwards towards his rider, who sits so tall and deep that the line between her movements and his is blurred. She guides him carefully, with subtle movements. A touch of her legs stirs him into a trot; he glides, white socks flashing, bay coat burnished in the sun, into the Olympic arena. He doesn’t move like an animal. He moves like music.

They come to a halt; the collection of the movement is in itself a salute to years of training. The rider makes her salute and then puts both hands on the reins, gathering him. The music begins, and the horse comes to life. He floats, perfectly in time with the music, through movements so difficult as to be impossible for most horses; yet he piaffes, pirouettes and passages as though it all comes naturally to him, as though he has been doing it since he was born. His rider appears to sit motionless as she guides him through the movements they both know so well. Extending, his trot seems ready to lift off; collecting, he barely seems to touch the ground.

The music rings with the peals of Big Ben and fanfares with the high wisdom of I Vow to Thee, My Country. The sound fills the hearts of the spectators, twines around the horse until it seems that horse and song become one, until it is uncertain whether the horse dances to the song or the song dances to the horse. Horse, human and music become one glorious spectacle.

One moment, they lengthen the canter to fly across the arena with impossibly long strides. The next, they piaffe, trotting on the spot, all the horse’s energy contained and yet exuberant. The next, they walk, the reins loose, the horse’s head stretched out, yet even that simple movement is regal, controlled, magnificent.

At last, with the whole stadium ringing to the last notes, the great horse comes to a halt and his great rider lowers her head and stretches out her right arm. The routine is finished. The stadium erupts into a mighty applauding.

Later that day it is announced that Charlotte Dujardin, the British dressage rider, and the KWPN gelding known as Valegro have won the individual gold medal for dressage at the London 2012 Olympics, and broken the Olympic record with 88.022%. Before long the pair will hold three world records, too, including the spectacular freestyle score of 93.975%. For now, they stand, revelling in a job well done, and the people of London applaud their majestic display of power, grace, and willingness.

And while they set their records, in a dingy corner of Gloucestershire, hidden and forgotten, a young pony colt is starving slowly.

Semi-abandoned stableyard in Gloucestershire, 2014. So weak that he can barely stand, the colt huddles in a corner of the field, his shivers making his long, dull coat ripple over his ribs. His neck looks too thin to support his pathetically bony head; his eyes are sunken deep into their sockets, and have no sparkle. Breathing laboured, neck stretched out, belly low-slung and grotesquely large for his spindly legs, the colt is days from death.

Perhaps less.

Stableyard caring for horses from charity, Gloucestershire, 2014. Charlotte Dujardin chats with her friend, walking past the row of stables from which sleek and well-groomed heads look out, the great eyes and wide brows speaking of breeding and quality. The double winner of the FEI World Cup and double Olympic gold medallist, among many other accolades, runs her eye down the row of beautiful horses. She is used to them; huge, shining, well-trained, unbelievably valuable, deeply treasured.

Then, she reaches a stable door with no head looking over it. Curious, she stops and peers inside. Two huge, sad eyes, half hidden in a head that is little more than a skull with skin, look back. They belong to a tiny black colt that was found by the RSPCA. He was starving, riddled with parasites and sick with a lung infection. In the words of an Inspector, the colt was a week from dying.

Now, he is safe, but his ribs still protrude, his belly still dangles, long hair hanging off it like moss dripping from an old tree trunk. His disproportionate body, half hidden underneath a dog blanket stretched across his thin frame, looks much too ugly for the prettiness of his fine-boned little head.

He is a far cry from Valegro, and Dujardin has no illusions that he will ever be Valegro. But she falls for him instantly. Straight away, she contacts her sponsors to custom-make him a proper rug instead of the old dog blanket. And not long after, the little colt, christened Santa, moves into the possession of Charlotte Dujardin OBE.

We all have days when we feel like Santa compared to Valegro. We feel like a raggedy little pony, scrawny, weak and on the brink of starvation, a scruffy mongrel in comparison to that man in the church, that girl in the youth group, that preacher at the pulpit – those Valegros. We compare ourselves to those around us, and cast ourselves in a dim light: I’ll never be brave like her. I’ll never be wise like him. I’ll never be virtuous like her. I’ll never be patient like him.

This is not humility. Our God never intended for us to compare ourselves to each other, for in the end, we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). Jesus alone is the example to strive for, the leader to follow (Phil. 2:5). We are to shine with His light, reflected in us; not to stand in the shadows, ashamed to shine because of the light of others (Eph. 5:8). Jesus loves all His children, and He alone can make us everything we want to be (Matt. 19:24-26).

If Charlotte Dujardin, a human being, can love both a little black rescue pony and the top dressage horse in the world, how much better can our Lord and God love each one of us? But our God will go one better. Our God will take every Santa and turn them into a Valegro. The God who designed horse, man and the entire world so perfectly will make all those who trust in His name into new creations, and we will live forever in the glory of His light.

Glory to the King.

As Christians--it's important that we take the time to rehearse the work of the Lord in our lives.

While the Lord taught the Israelites He was their God after releasing them from captivity in Egypt, He instructed them to set up memorial stones--lest they forget.  Through the generations, God's followers rehearsed how He had delivered, judged, defended, provided, enabled, sustained, supported, redeemed, etc. (Read Ps. 105)

Likewise, today we find ourselves with many distractions that can perhaps tempt us to lose focus on the blessings today.  It boils down that we need to stop often to rehearse, remember and rejoice in what God has done. In remembering the works of God Who of yesterday, today and forever remains ever true--we will be refreshed and grateful for what He has done. 

I was thinking today of April 13, 2012. I was unemployed and had done all I could to pursue work, filled out multiple applications, pounded the pavement for nearly 4 months.   That day I remember applying "do the next thing" and waiting on the Lord.  That morning I was sitting down to sew a hot pink blazer.  My thought--I might not have work, but I'll prepare for it (my warewobe needed a facelift!)! My Dad brought me a phone and said, "Rebekah, maybe this is an interview!"  I was so hopeful!  

After saying, "Hello"...to my utter shock, the man on the other end of the telephone told me he had found my article on contentment and asked me to be a guest on his radio program that afternoon. 

I was not impressed and very skeptical.   I was wanting work--the last thing I ever thought about was being on the radio!!  I told him I'd think about it and get back with him.  I wanted some time to pray, consult with my parents and probe into checking out the radio program.  

It's often this way when following the Lord. Our agenda is not what God planned for the our day. Here I was having to apply my very words about being content and they wanted me to talk about it to listeners in Pennsylvania???

Having a need does not keep us from pouring out of it. The Lord instilled in me this was His work! For some reason, He wanted me in my state of learning to be content, to speak about it--despite my natural recoiling from such public experiences.

To this day, i have no idea who might have been listening.  I have no idea if anyone was blessed, encouraged, strengthen to be more content. Yet I know that I was personally renewed in contentment through studying for the most nervous 12 minutes I've lived thus far. Many times we are called to serve without knowing why we were.  We're simply the Lord's servants.  

You can listen to my nasal East Texan discussion about the article I wrote "A Christian's Twelve Practical Principles to the Path of Contentment" here:

Incidentally--the Lord didn't bless me with excellent paying work until November of that year.  I had a long stent of doing the next thing. I found myself doing what I could, where I could and learning to be thankful in it. I was seasonal help in a bakery; I did some photography and website work; I cleaned a house. Then the Lord blessed me with a happy, corporate job that lasted until the following November 2013--when I once again had to trust the Lord until March 2014 for employment!!  The Lord taught me that a Christian is never unemployed when in His service. I had plenty to do--and all my immediate needs were met. TRUE--I still haven't recovered my savings account to this day!!  Yet, I know my God is faithful and His ways are not my ways.  

Take a moment and do a little rehearsing yourself.  Remember what God has done in the yesterdays...it will strengthen your joy for today and your hope for tomorrow.

Ps. 77:11-12

I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.

Ps. 105: 1-5; 43, 45

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord !Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth...

He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness...That they might observe His statutes and keep His laws.

Praise the Lord!