Back in the Saddle Again...

My last post was wrought with tension and angst, sparking an array of emotions from those of you who read it. I appreciate all of your responses and am both humbled and encouraged by the conversations and exchanges that have unfolded since I last wrote. Thank you to everyone who reached out in the aftermath of my words. You are God's love made real.

That said, I want today's post to be positive. I want it to be full of light, like the glorious Spring weather we've been experiencing here in Wisconsin. The snow has left us and the birds have returned. While picking up dog poo in the post-winter "mine field" of our backyard, I even noticed subtle signs of life springing forth from our flower beds. I couldn't help but smile. Welcome back, joy and optimism.

Since I last wrote, much has happened. My faith in prayer has been renewed, my inner artist has been revived, and my soul has found quiet. As many of you know, our house has been on the market since early October. For those of you who have ever been through this process, you know what a roller coaster it can be! In the last couple months we have almost felt like visitors in our own home. Afraid to relax, be messy, let our hair down, LIVE. Showings were often, which was fantastic. But offers were non-existent and negative feedback was mounting...not so fantastic. It didn't take long for us to realize that what we really needed was a young, single guy to walk through our house. Someone who wouldn't care about a small kitchen, lack of closet space or a master suite in the basement. And someone who would giggle like a little girl at the thought of having a home theater with surround sound. So we began to pray for this person. And pray. On Wednesday, Joel allowed a dear friend and coworker of his to pray over him. She, too, prayed for a young lad to walk through our door. An hour later that is exactly what happened. And three hours after that he was writing us an offer. By Friday afternoon it was a done deal. Hallelujah! God is good. For the first time in a long time we felt heard. A gentle reminder that God is indeed listening.

The weekend ushered us into 'Pulse,' the annual arts conference held at our church. The weeks leading up to this event are insanely busy for my husband and his oh-so-talented team of artists. But it's always amazing to see how quickly the stress seems to fall off their shoulders as they join a whole community of believing artists, doing what they do best...creating. As someone who lives in between the left and right sides of my brain, this conference is one of the few places I get to explore and expand on the artistry God has infused in me. Last year I performed a dance with two amazingly beautiful dancers. This year I made a mess with paint, charcoal and sand. And it turned into something rather lovely. This experience again confirmed what I've always known...creative outlets are essential for a balanced life.

For those of you who really know me, you know that I am an animal lover. I am especially fond of horses, despite being a city girl. I learned to ride and care for them as a young girl, and since then it's been a dream of mine to own one...and a killer pair of cowboy boots. Unfortunately, I continue to live in the city. And last I checked, Mayor Dave would probably frown upon a horse trotting down Whitney Way. This is where a woman named, Joan, enters the picture. Joan has two horses and 5 acres just outside of Madison. Joan also has some very sexually-charged roosters...but that's a story for another time. Our church likes to form groups of people with common interests who can get together and share in their hobby. A women's horse-lovers group tried to get off the ground, but too few of the women actually owned their own horses. However, Joan took this opportunity to reach out to us horseless gals. Every once in a while she'll send an email telling us that she plans on grooming and riding on a certain day and would love company. After passing on the first few, I decided to take her up on her latest offer. With snow turning into muck, she had two very muddy horses to tend to. Being someone who loves the smell of horse sweat and manure, I happily obliged to get my hands dirty with some curry combs and mud-tangled manes. Being in the presence of horses quiets my soul like nothing else. It was a long-overdue therapy session. You see, with horses you have to quiet yourself. You have to quiet any anxiety or fears that you carry. Quiet any tension, anger or bitterness. Quiet the voices in your head. Quiet your soul. Because they know. They sense your negativity and react. And no one wants a hoof to the face. Scrubbing and combing their giant muscular bodies to the quiet, steady rhythm of hay-chomping is something I've always loved and could have done for hours. There's just something about standing in the powerful presence of these beasts that brings me nearer to God. When the horses were shiny and new again, we saddled 'em up and took them out on a beautiful leisurely walk. It felt good to be riding again. It felt good to feel like myself again. Amazing how nature has a way of centering us and giving us a quiet place to rest our souls in this crazy, chaotic and often painful world we live in.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
-Matthew 11:28-29