Even though I was english, & even though my horse & buggy experience was very limited...I quickly surmised the purpose of the blinders. The small shields allow the horse to not worry about what is in his peripheral vision, & allow him to focus only on what's straight before him. The horse trusts his driver, & pays attention only to the road. Leah told me that when the Amish train their horses, they condition them to ignore distraction. I've won't pretend to know the specifics of how this is done, but I can certainly envision a few tactics that might be used to get a horse used to chaos. In my head I imagine fanning wind towards the horse to mimic passing cars...I imagine clattering pots & pans so that they get used to loud noises...perhaps this is fanciful imagining, but I do know that one way or another training occurs. The horses are so well trained that it would take something drastic to startle them. With that lesson under my belt, I was able to sit back & enjoy the ride to the auction. Nearly 10 years later that day has vividly come back to mind, & as usual it now has a spiritual connection.
One great battle in nearly every believer's life is the ability to stay focused. It is immensely hard to block out distractions & to keep our eyes trained on Abba & His kingdom. The psychological world has labeled it Attention Deficit Disorder...and there's a medicine to cure it, or at least lessen the impacts of it. I would call it a weakness of the flesh & the result of a sinful nature...and there's absolutely no cure for it other than discipline & willpower. With all that there is to do & accomplish, it's increasingly more & more difficult to stay in tune with the Lord. Endless To-Do lists, obligations, expectations, careers, children, husbands, wives, friends, & etc. all require something from us, & at the end of the day there is very little left over. That issue is why so many pastors browbeat the concept of 'Quiet Time' with the Lord & of having it early in the morning. Once daylight hits & the day gets started, it is very hard to find a moment to take a breath, let alone to take the time to seek Abba & to be in His Word. Without training, without becoming conditioned to ignore distraction, & without blinders, we are hard pressed to keep our eyes on the road ahead of us.We react to the onslaught of life & rip the reins right out of God's hands...running wildly into the chaos before us. How I wish I could just take a pair of those horse blinders, wrap them around my head, not look to either the right or the left, but remain steadfastly immersed in walking along the path Abba has set before me. Is it even a possibility?
I would venture to guess that the behavior of Leah's horse appeared far different the very first time her dad hitched him to a buggy. I would bet that before that horse was broke & trained, he thrashed & startled. I'd imagine that when a car passed he ran or darted. I'm certain that only Joseph's (Leah's dad) brute strength kept that horse from becoming out of control. Leah's father trained that horse. He conditioned him to not startle at commotions, he taught him obey his commands, & he put the blinders on so that the horse would remain intent on the road ahead of him...relying upon the driver's guidance. When I rode in the buggy with Leah, I noticed that her horse reacted & obeyed the slightest pull on the reins...it didn't take much movement...certainly not a jerk or a shout. I remember wondering why she continued to hold the reins at all, but I know now it was just in case...just in case that horse needed reminding of who was in control. That's the same process we need to follow. We must learn to not get our feathers ruffled at every bump in the road...we must be careful not to allow our trials to cause our focus to wander. We must comprehend & obey Abba's commands...which means we must know them. We can only know them if we are in the Word, & if we are hiding His words in our hearts. We must put on blinders & rely upon Abba's guidance...we must have resolute focus on the task that the Father has called us to. We must leave the reins in Abba's hands so that He is the one in control...He is there to remind us who the driver is when needed, When we are in tune with the Father, we are sensitive to even the slightest nudging He gives us...He does not need to strike us or to jerk on the reins. I will not in any way say that this goal is easy....I will not say that we will ever be perfect...even a well trained, veteran buggy horse gets startled & acts up every now & then...but I will say we should...indeed we are called...to strive towards the goal of being a disciplined, will-powered, focused disciple of Abba. I am not saying that we are to be oblivious to life & the mishaps & struggles that come along with it, but that we are to remember who is in the driver's deat, & to rest assured that He has it under control.
Deuteronomy 5:29-30 "Therefore you are to be careful to do as Adonai your God has ordered you; you are not to deviate either to the right or to the left. You are to follow the entire way which Adonai your God has ordered you..." (Complete Jewish Version)
I long to be like Leah's buggy horse...harness in, hitched up, & blinders on. I long to have Abba holding the reins & guiding my journey. I want to know Him well enough to trust His guidance. I want to be well disciplined & of strong will power so that I might not wander from the path before me. I want to put on blinders & to shut out the peripheral distractions. I'm so thankful for the assurance of knowing that Abba is holding the reins & is driving my life...Be Blessed!
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