Great Horse Stories (12 page)

Kathi had omitted one fact. Her son was mentally ill, having been diagnosed with bipolar paranoid schizophrenia. Parking the car, she nervously wondered,
Am I doing the right thing? This is an important, top-of-the-line event. Will Joe act appropriately? Or will my plans be crushed again?

“Hopeless.” That's what the world had labeled Joe. Even the doctors had said he would end up living on the street, in jail, or in a mental institution. Joe's life had been peppered with years of despair, suicide attempts, hospitalizations, and homelessness. But he had never been violent toward others. His personality toward his friends and family was like a big teddy bear. Joe was always giving hugs. Rather than expecting presents to be given to him on his birthdays, he celebrated by giving presents to his friends and family. He was polite. Often when he wanted to talk with someone he'd raise his hand and wait to be called on. He hadn't asked to be struck with this disease, and Kathi's heart grieved for him. She never thought she'd be the mother of a mentally ill child.

Over the years she'd hoped and prayed that Joe would be able to lead a fulfilling life. But so far most of his experiences were components of rejection and emotional pain. Society seemed to only have room for good-looking businesspeople who achieved goals. Not many people would accept a mentally challenged man. Yet Joe needed love and acceptance perhaps more than others did. His heart was as big as the state of Texas. She'd thought that perhaps he could help others. When she mentioned it to him, Joe had responded, “I don't have anything to offer.”

Tears welled up in Kathi's eyes as she remembered the exchange. Maybe the world had given up on Joe, but she held on to a thin thread of hope that there was a seed of greatness in every person God created—no matter what difficulties he or she faced. After she'd been asked to be the photographer for the horse show, an idea clicked within her. Through the viewfinder on the camera, she'd chased away the feelings of hopelessness that had plagued her. Photography made her focus on the beauty of where she was. It helped her look outside of herself. Perhaps the same could be true for Joe.

Kathi and Joe got out of the car. The air seemed charged with electricity. This Combined Driving Event, sanctioned by the American Driving Society, was one of the main shows in the country. Row after row of horse trailers lined the meadow. Contestants brushed sleek horses. Folks unloaded wagons, buggies, and carriages from flatbed
trucks and then polished off every speck of dust until the vehicles and leather shone in the morning sunlight. Kathi's nervousness grew as the horse competition got ready to start. After getting her equipment ready, Kathi and Joe sat in camp chairs under the blue tent awning on the sidelines of the driving course.

Tucking a dark strand of hair behind her ear, she pointed. “Joe, do you see the number on that cart?”

He nodded.

Kathi continued to instruct Joe that when each new team entered the course, he was to take a picture of the contestant's number on the cart so that Kathi could identify him or her later. She added that he could take any other photos he wanted as well. She told him that being able to identify the contestants would be very important when it came time to sort through the thousands of photos.

Throughout the next two days Joe excitedly captured the horses on film. Often he'd point and comment, “Look at the muscles! Look at how they're rippling. I've got to get a picture of that!” At one time Joe had been a body builder, so he could relate to the horses' power. He watched in awe as the teams of horses pulled wagons up hills, around bends, and through streams. The beauty and majesty of the animals trotting with their muscles bulging and their manes flowing thrilled him. He was drawn to the horses with an invisible bond.

At the end of the day, Kathi took Joe over to see the horses up close. They were strong and powerful, yet when he petted them he noted they were sensitive inside just like him.

While editing the 10,000 or so photos they had taken, Kathi was delighted when Joe threw his heart into this part of the project as well. He'd been blessed with extraordinary artistic talent, and photography gave him a place to focus it. He'd periodically lean over, gaze at a picture she was cropping and say, “Now, Mom, you've got to leave the horses a little room to go…Don't put them in the middle.”

When Kathi showed the photos to the sponsors and contestants, everyone was pleased.

Around the horses Joe felt accepted. He was free to give them love. The horses didn't judge him, and they were responsive to him. The
more Joe and Kathi hung around the horse crowd, the more the people got to know Joe. They accepted him too.

At the same time, Kathi found Joe reading his Bible more than ever. He peppered her with questions about surrendering more of his life to God. As he sought his Lord in a deeper way, God began to change him from the inside out.

When the next year's Combined Driving Event rolled around, Joe's photography had improved so much that Kathi asked him if he'd like to be one of her assistant photographers. He replied, “Yes! I feel useful and important.” Although he didn't have an expensive camera or fancy lenses, he took thousands of photos. At the close of the show each day, he left the security of Kathi's side. Armed with his camera, he wandered through the horses and contestants, asking, “Can I take your picture? I want to remember you.” Then he snapped away. When he saw the contestants unhitch the horses and then strain to push the wagons where they wanted them, he heaved his strength into helping. He was so totally absorbed with the horses, photography, and helping others that he forgot to be afraid.

•
Joe and Strauss
•

After the event Joe stayed up all night editing photos. He burned them onto a CD, and in the morning he took them to his mom. His voice oozed with confidence. “I can't wait till you see these, Mom!”

They walked into the den and huddled in front of the computer.
Kathi was stunned at the beauty he'd captured. Joe stopped at one particular photo. He said, “It's got a golden cast to it.” The angle of the sunlight made the picture glow. Joe had taken the shot from standing behind the horse's shoulder looking toward its nose. The horse, wearing full harness, was traveling through a rolling meadow. Only the wooden stays and spokes of a wheel showed that the horse was hitched to a cart. Joe pointed and said, “This one I'm going to call ‘Going Home.' ”

Shocked, Kathi nodded. Joe had never named one of his pictures before.

God had performed a miracle. Joe, a man the world had deemed hopeless, had changed from someone who had been disconnected from society to a person who freely wandered through crowds of strangers asking, “Can I take your picture, please?” He was a man who had thought he had nothing to give, but now he's blessed thousands of people with his photographs. His pictures have been published in calendars, on websites, and within newspapers. Armed with a simple camera, his mother's love, and his faith in God, Joe proved that the word “hopeless” doesn't exist in God's vocabulary.

•
“Going Home”
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“Hopeless.” Have you ever felt that way? Jesus specialized in being the Hope of the world. He walked past the throngs of people who looked like they “had their lives all together” and zeroed in on those struggling in their daily lives. He gave Himself to each person who sought Him with sincerity.

The act of giving, which includes serving others, reflects the very heart of God. When we give, we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on somebody else. We move from being self-centered to being “other centered.” I've noticed that when I give, especially anonymously, or when I serve someone through a random act of kindness, my spirit soars. The act of giving provides a natural high to the giver with no negative side effects. The best part is that it enhances our self-image. We feel valuable.

Joe experienced the very same thing. The more he took his eyes off himself and focused on God and others, the happier and more fulfilled he became. People accepted and loved him in return. The solution Joe needed was the opposite of what the world teaches. The world says take care of yourself first, and if there's a crumb left over then you can share. But the secret to a happy life is a paradox. When we give, we don't lose anything. Instead we gain everything. God shares this key through the apostle Paul: “The Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive' ” (Acts 20:35). Hope for the hopeless is achieved through giving. The ultimate is when we give ourselves to God. God will mold us into useful vessels, no matter how big our challenges seem.

About a month after the second Combined Driving Event they attended, the manager at Joe's apartment building called Kathi with the news that Joe had fallen in the street while getting his mail. The ambulance took him to the emergency room, where they checked him over and released him. Not long after that, blood clots settled in his lungs and in his legs. Then Joe moved to his heavenly home.

Although Kathi was devastated by the news, when she looks at the “Going Home” photo she often wonders if Joe had a premonition he was going home to heaven soon. He'd gained hope and freedom through surrendering himself to God and by serving others. His contributions were acknowledged the following year at the Combined
Driving Event in their program. Under the words “Gone but not forgotten” was a picture of Joe.

Lord, I'm so glad there's no such word in Your vocabulary as “hopeless.” Amen.

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Thoughts to Ponder
•

Have you felt hopeless? Perhaps you lost your job, went through bankruptcy or divorce, or a close relative or friend died. Have you talked to God about your situation? Look around you. Does someone need words of encouragement? Is there something you can do for someone?

20

THE NANNY

Attitude Is Everything

T
he last of the sun's rays rippled across the golden-brown grass in central Montana. Tall metal silos dotted the rolling hills. The fingers of a gentle-but-nippy November breeze brushed past Lisa, her husband, and her eight-year-old daughter, Katie. They rode their horses along a dirt road that wound through the hills below a sandstone bluff. They were returning home after visiting a friend.

It was Katie's first trail ride on Nanna, her two-year-old Norwegian Fjord Horse. Although Lisa had carefully planned the day, it wasn't turning out the way she'd wanted.

An afternoon upset had happened. Lisa's tall, gray gelding had gotten antsy and she'd reined him in. He'd pranced in place and then suddenly reared. For a moment it looked like he would tip over backward, but Lisa stood in her stirrups and leaned forward to rebalance him. He dropped to all fours, and they had continued riding home. Lisa was a very experienced rider and took it in stride, but the episode had upset Katie so much that her nerves stood on edge and her temper smoldered beneath the surface.

Katie's temper was legendary. From the womb, she had been a fighter. She was a strong-willed child who was tenacious about everything. For most of Katie's life, Lisa had been single and a working mom putting food on the table for her family. The lack of a strong father figure helped generate a powerful current of anger within Katie that frequently surged. In a flash Katie could transform from a loving child into an erupting volcano. Before she was four years old, she'd knocked the wind out of three boys and bloodied two noses. Lisa had spent
hours in prayer—asking God to help repair Katie's broken heart and tame her temper.

When Katie turned seven, she took an interest in ponies. She even tucked away her birthday and Christmas money to save enough to buy one. Lisa knew a middle-aged pony would be safe and offer the unconditional love Katie needed. One evening after getting ready for bed, Katie went into her mom's bedroom as she usually did. Wearing her pajamas, she plopped down on the queen-sized bed with the green comforter.