We had finally all left the church building from our Bible Study and had headed to our cars in the parking lot. There were two trucks parked in the street next to the parking lot and the drivers were talking to each other about horses on the church lawn.
I don't know about the others, but it took me a few minutes for it to sink in that they meant the church lawn for the church where we were. I had never seen horses in that area before. There are woods behind the church. And, apparently, some pasture land with fence.
The horses had gotten out. We all walked around the drive and sure enough, there were four horses in the front church lawn eating voraciously. A lady who was a friend to the owner of the horses had come to make sure they didn't get in the road. So we stayed to help her keep them on the church lawn. We became a human corral.
They ate and ate. They weren't very skiddish. Oh, for the younger days when I could actually mount up and ride bare back. :) But with frozen shoulders and herniated discs in my neck, I decided it would be best to keep my feet on terra firma. I admired the horses.
There was a tall chestnut brown one, a white one with a black face and blue eyes, a smaller brown one, and a black one. A fifth horse had stayed closer to home, but was also out.
They waited patiently for their owner. The lady said he was coming shortly and left after about thirty minutes. The horses decided they had eaten enough and started across the parking lot.
One made a deposit almost as soon as it hit the pavement. The others made it to the grassy area near the woods.
They seemed to be headed home, but then shot off across the street into a neighbor's yard. I guess they weren't quite ready to settle down and go home.
Then a policewoman came. I directed her into the parking lot as to miss the fresh road apples and then updated her on the horses' whereabouts.
After a while, the horses emerged from the neighbors' yards and slowly ambled toward their home, but stayed beyond the gate.
Since they were close enough to home and out of danger of being hit on the roads next to the church property, we took off.
It was an unexpected adventure!
We had some fun with it too. :) We were joking around with the pastor about having four new members at the church. One person took a picture of a horse heading towards the church steps.
I don't know if the horses really needed our protection or not. Maybe they would have been smart enough to stay off the road. But folks do drive rapidly down that portion and it could have been ugly.
Have you ever left home like those horses? Maybe the gate was left open slightly unintentionally and you went for it? Or maybe you jumped the fence? Maybe you didn't go far, you just wanted to eat different grass, so you did. You didn't know that there was danger involved. In fact, you were oblivious to it. But, there were folks around who became your "human corral", who helped hem you in and keep you safe. They gave you room to roam and room to leave, but they made sure your life wasn't taken.
I know I've wandered off. And there have been folks in my life who have walked by me during those times of wandering. They kept me safe from total destruction. They helped me find my way back home. They gave me freedom to explore, yet made sure I was close to home.
And when I did find my way back home.... I found there was love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
Though I'm thinking of one instance in particular, there have been many more times when I've left "home". Maybe not physically, but emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. I have learned through life that any time I try to do things my way that I am saying that I don't trust my Father to guide me, protect me, provide for me.
I'm learning to trust, even when I don't have the answers. I'm learning to live into the freedom.
How horses on the church lawn can be part of the journey, I'm not quite sure... but it was quite an adventure!!
May your day be infused with an unexpected joyous adventure along your journey!
~Debra
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