The Prompts:
1.) Somebody I'm praying for....
2.) I don't believe in prayer because...
3.) What are you putting off right now?
4.) You can go back to your childhood for one day. What day and age do you choose?
5.) Your friend tells you he can pick up any girl at the bar, no matter what he says. You bet him $100 he can't. Create the world's worst pick up line and send your friend off into the crowd. What happens?
Like Mama Kat, i too have been praying for Stellan. I've prayed for this sweet little boy to be healed my God all week, & every time I get on up date from MckMama on my cell via Twitter my heart stops for a few seconds while I quickly read her updates and pray for the "..." to be continues with something good. Small update- Stellan is going in to surgery to have a line put in. His heart has stopped pumping blood efficiently to the rest of his body, so they are uncertain whether they will put in a PICC line, central line, or a J line. Please continue you praying! Pray works-- whether its hard to understand why "all prayers aren't answered," God hears ever single one and will continue to give us the thigns in our lives that we need as long as we turn to Him.
Okay... So.... since I've already been prayin for Stellan... I pick...
4.) You can go back to your childhood for one day. What day and age do you choose?
I know exactly what day I would pick. I was around 7 years old I would say, and it was the middle of November. I was up in the Ozarks with my family on vacation for Thanksgiving, and everything was perfect. Growing up there was no other place as magically as my families ranch. Nothing in the world could compare to the smell of the mequite wood burning in the fire place, the sweetness coming from the fresh chocolate chip cookies that were cooling in the kitchen, and the crispness in the air when I would run out side to meet my brothers and dad as they came in from hunting. I loved it. I was at ease in the woods. I was home to me. A safe place for all the other things that were going on back in Atlanta.
I had grown up learning everything I know about the woods from my Dad, who learned everything he knows from his Dad, who had learned everything he knew from His Dad... we had a lot of woods-savy men in our family! :) Anyways...
On this one specific afternoon that will always stay in my mind vividly til the day I die, my Dad and I decided to go on a horseback ride, just the two of us. I loved riding! My dad was never afraid to let me try things, and had me riding horses since I was 6 months old, and could barely sit up. I'd beg and beg to ride because it was "Our Thing" to do together. My mom rides, and some do my brothers, and nephews, and cousins and all.... but they just don't get it they way my daddy and I do.
Well on this cloudy afternoon, I can remember hearing the *clack- clack--clack-clack* noise of my father's boots on the 100 year old wood-plank floor heading toward my bedroom. He ducked his head in and said, "Ready?" and just smiled a big grin at me. I shook my head yes and jumped of the bed to grab my boots and search for my camo jacket. (Side note: I never liked wearing my own jacket-- I always wanted to wear my mom's camo jacket enough though it was too big for me.) I yanked it out of the deep cedar closet and swished my arms quickly into it; taking a deep inhale of the cedar smell as it escaped from where the door had been holding it captive. I ran out the door skinny, black front door trying to catch up to my dad as he was already making his way down the flat rock path to wear Blue, my dad's beautiful majestic horse stood. He was without a doubt the most gorgeous horse you'll ever see-- and he was truly blue! Well.. okay, he was a daple grey, but his coloring had a blue tint. He was so gentle and sweet and could always go whatever distance we wanted to ride.
My dad hopped on- he was always very quick; as if it was effortless-- and put his left hand out for me to grab on. I slid my left foot into the stirup, and pushed off the slick grass below me. I flipped my right leg on over and settled in on the warm blanket that lay behind my fathers sattle. The older I got the less often I rode with him. I had my own horses by now, Nancy and Sparkles, but on this day we rode together. -- We waved to my mom then took off toward the South. I hadn't remember every detail, because it felt like a fairytale.
I remember the mist that starting floating down from the tops of the trees and the fog that was on the ground. I can remember putting my hands in my dad's jacket pockets to keep them warm while we rode along through the treees, creating our on paths as we went. He's always had a sense of direction that I wish I had even an ounce of, and could take us roaming through the woods to run up deer, and turkeys and still get us back to the main road without a sweat. As we rode we talking about the ranch and how some day it could all be mine if I loved it enough, and understood how much it takes to be responsible for all the animals that live there. We talked about my Grandpa and the thigns he had taught my dad, and even talked about how we wished mom had come with us, but we were glad we didn't actually have to worry about anyone keeping up with us because Blue was ofcourse better than any of the other horses.
All of asudden the light mist that tickled my face as it hit, turned to a drizzle.. and then to a heavy stram of rain! it was too late... we were way too far from the house to even care how drenched we were. We both just died laughing. It was beautiful out there. It was coming down hard, but as I peered out from under the hood of my jacket i could see everything in the woods clearly. It was like a painting that could never be duplicated. I knew it was a momently to be thankful for. A moment that I was sharing with just him, and I could tell he was proud I was riding with him, not any of the boys.
He ran Blue the rest of the way home. He was a little worried in might start lightening, but I wasn't scared. I remember being so drenched that my jeans were so stiff and heavy from the rain weighing them down. It was awesome though.---- To this day I love riding in the rain. There is something magical about it that you only know if you've been there.
That's the memory and day that I would pick. That day of being daddy's little girl, spending time together... riding in the rain.
1 comment:
Great story! I love riding in the rain too!
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