Lead, Guide, Walk Beside

The following thought was sent to me recently. It's the perfect theme for this time of year. In between the shopping, spending, planning and frenzy, may we take the time to find our inner calm and remember what is truly important. May we quiet our lives so that we may always hear the sound of the bell ringing us home.

"Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop and look, you will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse you will see that he is blind. His owner has made a good home for him. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source, you notice it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

This bell, which is attached to the horse’s halter, lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell, and walk slowly toward the other horse, trusting he won’t be led astray.

Like the owner of these horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect, or have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives, to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way."
(Author unknown)