“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
— Isaiah 41:13
For three days, Jessica had looked forward to this moment. Standing on the corral fence, she watched as Sarah slipped a bridle over her pony’s head.
“Reggie’s a good pony,” she said. “I’ve been riding him for three years.”
Jessica glanced at two larger horses drinking water at a trough. They seemed so tall that she was glad to start out on a pony. Yet she felt sure she could handle any horse well.
“Let me give you a lift,” Sarah offered. Jessica put one foot in Sarah’s clasped hands and swung up over Reggie’s bare back. “Lay your rein on the right side of his neck, and he’ll turn left,” Sarah told her. “Lay your rein on the left side, and he’ll go right.”
Moments later, Jessica was off. As she and Reggie started down the drive, she felt excited, then sure of herself. I knew I could handle it! Soon, they reached a place where the road ran close to the pasture. As Jessica passed by, the other horses ran straight for the fence. Without warning, Reggie plunged away from them. As he went right, Jessica went left. With a jolt she landed in the middle of the road.
“Ouch!” she groaned. Too stunned to move, she felt shaken in every bone of her body.
“Are you okay?” Sarah called as she ran to help.
“Stupid horse!” answered Jessica. “I won’t try that again.”
But Sarah had a different idea. “You need to get back on.”
“Are you kidding?” Jessica asked.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” Sarah said. “Reggie has never thrown me. He was frightened by the horses coming at him.”
“But he’s your pony. Reggie likes you.”
“So, are you a quitter? If you don’t get back on now, you’ll be too afraid to try again. Besides, Reggie has to know you’re boss, or he’ll think he can get by with throwing people.”
“Well — ” Slowly Jessica stood up. “Maybe you’re right. The longer I think about it, the more scared I get.”
Sarah led Reggie to a stump. “This time, I’ll ride with you. You first. I’ll hold him.”
A moment later, they were off. Soon, Jessica’s fear disappeared. She even started to feel excited. After a while, Sarah slid off.
By the end of the afternoon, Jessica felt like a seasoned rider. She even knew how to make Reggie mind. What if I had missed this? she asked herself. What if I hadn’t tried again?
More to Explore: 1 Samuel 2:2
Girl Talk: Have there been times when you felt that God wanted you to keep trying, even though it was hard?
God Talk: “Jesus, you know how scared I get about doing something new. Show me if I’m uneasy because you want to protect me. If, instead, you want me to learn something, help me to keep trying. Amen.”
From Girl Talk by Lois Walfrid Johnson