As I sit here tonight thinking about the proverbial horse called life, I am reminded of a true story.
When I was a teenager, I decided to ride a horse bareback in Lutts, TN. The horse was a little on the wild side, but I wanted to ride. I thought he was a little more broke than he was.
I climbed up on his back and grabbed ahold of the reins. Off he galloped. He got faster and faster. I pulled back on the reins, but it did no good. He was not listening to me. He got even faster.
I was yelling, "Whoa!!" But he didn't stop. He didn't seem to hear me at all.
We headed toward a tree which had a low hanging branch. Neck level if you want full details. I thought about ducking, but I didn't think I could clear it without knocking part of my head off. I didn't have much time to make a decision. So what did I do?
I jumped.
I jumped off the speeding horse into a briar patch, knocking the wind out of my chest, and seeing stars for the first time that I could remember.
The horse continued on with reckless abandonment seemingly pleased that he had won and his rider was now half dead in the bushes and weeds.
Okay, so I didn't almost die, but I was in some pain.
I've ridden a number of horses since that epic failure. I didn't let that one horse keep me from riding again. Sure, I was timid when I mounted the next horse some years later, but I knew I had to do it.
Tonight, I am thinking of the proverbial horse of life. What a wild ride it can be. One minute, your hair can be blowing in the wind, things going well, and the next you're taking a turn you didn't expect and things are accelerating rapidly in the wrong direction.
A branch may be about to clothesline you.
It's okay to jump off for a minute. It's not the same as quitting. It's okay to take a break, catch your breath, and tend to your wounds.
And when the time is right, you can jump back on stronger and ready for the next ride.
This may be a cheesy cliche of an analogy, but I feel like someone needs to hear it.
If life has been a wild ride for you, like my wild ride on that crazy horse, maybe you need to jump off for a few seconds...or maybe for a few months. But never forever. It's okay. You have permission to take a break. Just remember to ride again.
And one more time for those in the back....Rest is not the same as quitting.
P.S. Never be afraid to ask for help if you ever get to the point where you don't think you have another ride in you. You don't have to feel that way.
