Faith of a child

This week as I prepared to give my second teaching talk, wonder and awe kept washing over me.

My topic was God’s love. God created the universe from love – the sun, moon, stars, angels, mountains, oceans, every living, breathing creature. All of these are good and beautiful.

Mallory is a lover of creation. She constantly asks to play outside. Often she brings me treasures that she has found: a tiny bouquet of wildflowers, a leaf with a splash of red. On any given day when we are driving Mallory erupts in delight as soon as she spots her favorite animal.

Horses! Horses! Horses!, she exclaims.

Ever since we received the news of our acceptance to Family Missions Company, Mallory has been fixated on riding the horses here.

Not wanting her to be disappointed, we tried to prepare her before we arrived. We told her over and over how the horses there are more or less wild, they haven’t been trained or riden in a very long time. We explained that our primary focus would be on learning how to be a missionary family and there may not be much spare time to train the horses. At one point I even remember telling her that Matt and I didn’t have any idea how to train horses.

Yet, night after night, all summer long, Mallory’s bedtie prayer never faltered:

I am thankful for family, friends and food and I am hopeful to train the horses so we can ride them.

Of course, the very first day we arrived here at Big Woods Mallory begged to go out to the pasture to see the horses. It had rained and the pasture is overgrown. We couldn’t spot the horses from the fence. So Mallory and I walked thru the gate and began looking for them. Our feet kept plunging into soft, wet spots in the ground and our legs got tangled in brambles. But we pressed on. The horses were grazing at the far end of the pasture and they didn’t seem to have any interest in us. We failed to bring any treats for them. None of that mattered to Mallory. She marched right up to the horses. She began talking to them and petting them. She was delighted to be near to her most favorite creature. I was getting eatten alive by mosquitos so after a few mintues I led us back out of the pasture.

We ducked under the barbed wire fence and greeted a new family who was unpacking and getting settled. I explained Mallory is a horse lover and had to see those horses right away. The husband smiled and asked her if she’d like to ride one of those horses. He said he was going to try to train them. His name was Mr. Nice.

After relentless days of rain, the sun came out on Friday afternoon. Mr. Nice had spent time training one of the horses and invited the kids to line up for a ride. Mallory ran home to put on her jeans and boots. We opened the gate to the pasture and found the horses right away. A few of them raised their heads and let us pet them. We tried clicking our tongues to encourage them to follow us but they were staying right where they were. 

Around the bend someone had mowed a good portion of the pasture.  The singles and some of the dads and children had started a lively kickball game. No wonder the horses were keeping their distance. Once again, I found myself doubting. With all that commotion, I was sure the horses wouldn’t cooperate.

What little faith!

Mr. Nice walked right up to the horses and picked out two, a smaller chestnut mare and a taller light grey stallion. He led them into a shady corral. He put a saddle on the mare and tied a rope to use as reins. Several children lined up and Mallory waited patiently for her turn.

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours.” - Mark 11:24