Week of June 10
Choose Your Horse
by Margaret D. Mitchell
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” -Colossians 3:23
Recently, in a team meeting, the issue of temperance and bridling zeal came up. This proved to be an opportunity for me to share my racehorse testimony.
Now, I am not a close fan of the sport, nor do I gamble. But I do like the beauty and power of a gleaming, well-bred racehorse. God will use anything, and, as usual, His timing was spot on, as this opportunity arose just days before the Belmont Stakes. And so, here you have it:
Years ago, a few months after God had instructed me to host our first Women’s Expo, He showed me a vision of a racehorse standing inside a gate. The horse was partially suited up, and he was alone. There was no jockey; no other horses stood inside the other gates nearby; and the track and stands were empty.
God impressed upon me that the horse was symbolic of me.
During those few months before this vision, I had carefully sought the Lord and moved forward step by step, setting details in place for our big event. The only outstanding issue was the finances to pull it off.
So through this vision, God showed me that I was to wait upon Him, that I had showed up to run the race, but that the people and finances—neither of which I had control over—were not in place yet. And so I took a deep breath and intentionally chose to wait upon the Lord.
Weeks passed. And then the miracles occurred.
God chose a dear friend through which to provide the needed funds. This doesn’t sound like much of a miracle unless you know that she had an “incurable” disease and that, as a result, had lost everything, including her job, her finances, her home and her car. I had befriended this woman about a year or so earlier, at the instruction of my pastor, who pointed her out in the back of our church one day and said, “She could use a friend.”
So after befriending this woman for about a year, sharing one another’s burdens and praying for one another’s needs, God gave us both a breakthrough: She received God’s supernatural restoration, not only in her body but in her finances and throughout her life. It occurred “suddenly,” in a blink of an eye.
My friend phoned me one day, informing me that she had written a check and sent it to the ministry’s address. “Go to your post office box!” she exclaimed. Nearly, two weeks later (on the verge of discouragement), I finally drove to the post office box.
I opened her envelope, and my eyes could see, but my brain could hardly comprehend what God had place in my hands through this woman: A check in the exact amount we needed!
Once I overcame the initial shock of this double miracle, the Lord showed me another vision of the same racehorse. Only this time, he was suited in full regalia; a jockey was on his back; the stands were full of spectators and other horses stood alongside me. And the gate opened; the bell rang; and God showed me a vision of these words in capital letters: RUN, RUN, RUN!!!
My spirit leapt, my body went from relaxed to energized, and I eagerly ran the race the Lord set before me.
He impressed upon me that He was the jockey; that He held the reigns and that, now, He had put all the pieces in place. It was time to finish the race well, to complete the mission.
I was in awe of what God had done! He had given us both a breakthrough in His perfect timing, and we were both overjoyed!
Now, fast forward a year later.
Starting a ministry from the roots up is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy God’s presence, learn and grow and to work!
One day, while meeting with our graphic artist, she said something, which I thought to be very odd: “You can either be a thoroughbred or a workhorse.”
I now know that God used her to provoke me to pray once more for additional resources, especially for new people to help me.
He soon brought the people, and I witnessed God using each team of people to grow the Women’s Expo, the ministry and me.
Here’s what God ultimately taught me about horses:
Thoroughbred: Gloriously suited up, this powerhouse is highly-trained, refined and works under the authority of the jockey (God), who holds the reigns. He is a winner that runs the race God’s way. He is a beauty, the epitome of grace and strength; a well cared for and highly-valued jewel.
Workhorse: Engrossed and enslaved by his tasks, this draft horse has the potential for power but is tired, overworked; he has grown weary in well-doing. He sometimes works alone, and sometimes works in teams. But his joy is a distant memory, and a fear of not accomplishing tasks on time drives the vision. There is no adornment and no real engagement with others, except to accomplish daily tasks. He is barely functional and often clomps on delicate things. He needs to come away with Jesus and get some rest.
Mustang: A passionately zealous, wild runner. Has a lot of energy, but is unfocused and unbridled. Accomplishes little, if anything, because he’s all over the place, driven by whatever he sees and feels. Selfish, free flowing agenda reigns.
Pack Mule: A beast of burden; weighted down and limited by “stuff.” Grumpy and contentious, this beast really doesn’t want to be bothered outside of his world and way of doing things. Definitely needs deliverance.
Donkey: Considered unclean in Biblical times. Need I say more?
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
