ornery horses and the inevitability of rain

I know, I know... you're thinking, "What do horses and inevitable rain have in common?"

Short answer:  nothing.  Until today, that is.

Today was the first day we let the horses out to graze for a few hours. Naturally, they didn't want to come back from all that delectable greenness, so they decided that it would be amusing to run around my mom and me as we attempted to coax them back into their grassless pen. We caught my sister's horse, but my horse is a bit mischievous, so she continued running around and driving everyone batty. (Patience Tester No. 1)

Then, in accordance with Murphy's Law, the heavens opened up and poured forth an abundance of moisture--a rare thing where I live. Thus, I had to stand there in the rain in my rubber boots, jeans, and fleece sweatshirt so I could hold my sister's horse and keep her from running off into the Ultima Thule. (Patience Tester No. 2)

I got soaked. (Patience Tester No. 3)

And then the moment my mom and I walked through the gate, the rain stopped. Fancy that.

Most of you who have known me in person or on Blogger for any length of time have probably figured out that I'm not always a terribly patient person by nature. I wish I could say that I learned to be perfectly patient today, but I'm afraid that I'll be working on patience for a very long time.

I did, however, learn the following:

1. Ornery horses don't like people with lead ropes.

2. People with lead ropes must be patient with ornery horses.

3. Fleece does not block cold water--in fact, fleece absorbs cold water and holds it nice and close to the skin.

4. Getting annoyed at cold water doesn't make it any warmer.

5. Sometimes getting soaked is a good thing; I realized afterward that the shirt I'd been wearing had a hole in it, which made it unsuitable for piano lesson in the afternoon.

6. Nothing in this life--especially not something as relatively insignificant as ornery horses--is worth getting impatient over. Jesus got slapped, beaten, scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross... and He never once complained. So why should I get upset about a little rain on my back?

(I'm going to try to include a little Meditation Moment section at the end of all my Coram Deo posts now, even if they're just tags. So here goes the first one...)

Meditation Moment...

Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.