Let God Choose the Ride
In 1987, I was invited to ride rough stock for the second year, during the crowning of Miss Rodeo America at the NFR. I was married at the time and Ray was entered in the bucking bull sale also. Problem was....we didn’t own a vehicle. Oh, and we had NO MONEY. We had been faithful with the tithe and also giving, so we both knew that God was going to provide a way for us to get to Vegas. But the time was drawing near and we still had no car.....and no money to buy anything decent, so the pucker factor was increasing daily! I had a job breezing horses and daily as I lapped the back side of the track, there was an UGLY, burnt red from the TX sun, Toyota station wagon sitting in someone’s back yard. I was told they wanted to sell it, but I never told Ray about it because I did NOT want to be seen in that car......EVER. Every day as I rode past that car, (multiple times) I would feel the “nudge” that we were to buy it. But while galloping by I would literally say to God....”Please God....not THAT car! Get us an old pickup....ANYTHING but THAT CAR!” I held out in my stubborn pride until we were 3 days away from having to leave just to make Vegas on time. I had no choice but to give in and tell Ray.
We bought that car for $300. They were afraid to drive that car across town, but we aired up the tires and drove that thing to Vegas. I got paid for my part and Ray won the bucking bull sale that year. We drove back to Ft. Worth feeling hog rich!! You know, we rodeoed in that little ugly thing and drove it around the world for a couple of years before it finally spit the bit on us outside Pueblo, CO. It was such a blessing! Many times in my life I have given God some totally awesome suggestions on HOW to answer my needs and desires and what “vehicle” to use to get me to the next place in life.....and you know....He has NEVER listened to my ideas and done it MY WAY.....NOT ONCE!! I have finally quit giving Him my suggestions. Maybe you’re like I was.....looking for God to do something a certain way. How’s that working out for you? We can save ourselves TONS of frustration if instead of telling God “what and how”, we learn to lift our desires up to Him and allow HIM to do it HIS WAY! Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I KNEW that God had a call on my life that was something “other than” anything I’d ever seen before but year after year passed and absolutely NOTHING was happening. Little did I know that riding bulls and broncs was the catalyst that God had chosen to propel me into the area of my calling! Who knew but God! I NEVER saw that coming!!
A barrel racing friend once told me about finding a horse that had exactly the bloodlines she had been long looking for in a young horse. She distinctly heard the Lord telling her NOT to buy this horse! Her actual response to this was....”God, You know about camels and such....but I know barrel horses!” She bought the horse and $45,000 dollars later in vet bills, she realized that maybe....just MAYBE....God knows horses too!! Let God choose your “ride”.....He KNOWS how to get you there!
