"Maybe this is a young man's game. This is kind of crazy if you really think about it." I've had all of the negative, questioning thoughts bouncing around in my head for several weeks now. And a few of those arrows have come from outside my own head, by well-meaning neighbors. But tomorrow, we pick up our first mustang from the Canon City wild horse facility. We're committed...a phrase I'm accustomed to hearing after reaching a certain runway speed in the B-52, where it was safer to go airborne than to try to stop the aircraft.
"Fear not" is a phrase used in the bible 365 times. I think there's a message there. And at this point, I'm far more curious about the story being told through this experience than to be put off by fear. In fact, as I think about the course of things since we launched Mountains Move, I am learning to really lean less on my own fear-driven thinking and more into the knowledge that God is writing a magnificent story. My job is to step back and get out of the way. Maybe many of you have already learned that lesson, but it's been chiseled into my heart over the course of the last two years, and I'm getting better at just "rolling with it." Here's just a glimpse of the magnificent story being written:
We launched Mountains Move in 2020 and have had two churches come alongside of our efforts: Valley Fellowship in Buena Vista, and Ascent Church in Colorado Springs. These congregations and the support they have provided have represented streams of blessing in our start-up challenges. Through connections with these churches, I was introduced to a suicidal veteran. In God's timing and His alone...I happened to call this veteran just minutes before he planned on taking his life. Without getting too detailed, that veteran is is now helping other struggling people and other veterans in his community, walking with them through PTSD, depression, and their own struggles. And I see faith taking root in his own life too. Yes, it has taken patience, trust, and the investment of time in relationships...but Mountains Move is having profound effects in the lives of hurting people. But only when we learn to love, be open to God's leading, and take the right next steps.
This story is still unfolding, but I know the mustang element is an important part of it. They are certainly beautiful animals that come with their own folklore and heritage, but this is less about them than it is about the people who need their living analogy, their story of transformation, and the empathy and emotional mirroring that only horses can provide. This ministry can tackle two problems at once, by providing therapy and experiences for hurting people, while addressing a substantial local need in gentling, training, and finding homes for mustangs. It's an exciting journey...and another chapter begins on December 16th.
We may not have the most experienced staff in training horses. We may not have cowboy belt buckles or roping skills that win competitions. But we do have something even greater...a vision of a ministry that saves the lives of both hurting people and horses. We have a determined staff supported by a wonderful group of friends and family, in a wonderful community. And we have an eternal God who is clearly writing a magnificent story. We're blessed to be a part of it, and we hope you'll join us. Please follow along as we document the story of 'Carbon' our first wild mustang, and say a few prayers for us as we set off on this important journey, where we learn how to take the living analogy of the American mustang and use it in ways that point to a loving God.
