God's Love and a Pony named Squishy

Hi Friends!

Well, this week I've been thinking about the newest addition to the Schalesky family -- a little rescue pony named Pippin (aka Squishy).  We haven't brought him home just yet (after all, I did promise Bryan that I would NOT bring the horse trailer with me when we went down to visit the rescue ranch last Saturday), and Joelle is busily earning the whole adoption fee for him herself.  Besides, I have to get a pen ready for him so he has a spot in the barn when he comes home to us.

So, as we prepare, I've been considering how it came to be that we're adopting Pippin, and (of course) I was reminded of God.

You see, it was about a year ago when Joelle first saw Pippin at the rescue ranch's adoption event at the Salinas Rodeo grounds.  There he was, a scraggly little thing in the end pen.  A Chincoteague pony, untrained, unridden, and needing more than we could provide.  They called him Squishy.

And Joelle fell in love.

She petted him, she hugged him, she stared at him with doe eyes.  And he loved every minute.

But I couldn't bring him home.  We couldn't take in another untrained horse, and so I had to say no.

Joelle came home and drew a dozen pictures of Squishy.  She wrote little "I Squishy" notes all over the place.  She didn't cry.  She didn't whine.  She didn't fuss.  But she held Squishy in her heart.

Then, last week, Marlene from the rescue ranch posted a couple pictures of Squishy being ridden at the rescue ranch.  I saw.  I remembered.  I inquired.

Not because I need another horse.  Not because that little Chincotegue pony is perfect and the best horse in the world.  No, it was because I love Joelle, I remember the desires of her heart, and what matters to her matters to me.

And in that moment, God whispered to me, "I am like that too."  How incredible, how wonderful, how beautiful is that?!  I am his child.  He loves me.  He remembers.  And what matters to me matters to him just because of his amazing love me.

If I, an imperfect (there's an understatement!) mother, can remember a fuzzy little pony and make a way for him to be Joelle's, then how much more does God remember the desires of my heart, how much more is he working to open opportunities for joy for me?

And how much easier is it, then, to trust in that love, to trust in HIS timing.

We weren't ready for Squishy (we've renamed him Pippin, after the hobbit!) a year ago.  Joelle wasn't ready.  But we're ready now.  When we visited him at the rescue ranch, Joelle had eyes for no one else.  And little Pippin claimed us as "his humans."  It was a match that took a long time in coming, but now the timing is right.

So as we get ready to go back down to the ranch to see (and ride!) Pippin on Saturday, I am pondering this amazing love that God has for me - the love of a parent who remembers, who cares, who loves, who wants to give good things to me, his daughter ... good things, but in the right time.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me Your love through a sweet little Chincoteague pony.