Horse Sense

"If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone." John Maxwell

Computers are a wonderful thing. 

I have always enjoyed them, and especially I have appreciated their odd little quirks and issues that arise from time to time.

I enjoy the thrill of the hunt – having a problem crop up that requires a solution if one is going to continue using the digital beast.  It’s nice knowing that when all else fails, we’ve always got Ctrl+Alt+Del!

A while back I found myself losing the internet fairly regularly so that it became apparent that our DSL modem was on its last legs.  I went out and bought a new combination modem-router and, with fear and trembling, removed the old units and installed the new one and – lo, it worked.  Not only that, it seems to be much fast than what we had before.  Better yet, I didn’t have to resort to Ctrl+Alt+Del.

For that I am thankful.

One of the problems I’ve found with new computers and new operating systems is that they are much more stable.  Having fewer problems may seem like a good thing, and yet I find that my ability to locate the source of a problem – when one finally rears its ugly little noggin – is that I have a hard time remembering how to find the solution.

I remember there’s a way – but I can’t find the path without doing a lot more digging and hacking.

Most of us, I think, would like to go through life with few (if any) trials and tribulations, and yet it seems that the struggles we endure on a daily basis, whether those problems are large or small, help keep us fresh and loose and more functionally fit.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said that we need to “sit loosely in the saddle of life.”

I think it is pretty good advice.  I’ve not ridden horses much in my life.  In fact, I’ve only tried it once, and I was definitely loose in the saddle.  We were quite a syncopated mess out there on the trail.  Since I had the rein and was on top, I think I was supposed to be in charge, but the horse sure didn’t seem to recognize my authority.

Staying loose is important, though.  It helps to maintain balance by staying flexible, and being able to maneuver come what may.

Jesus once asked the question: Why do you fret over so many things?  Can worry add an inch to your height or extend your time on earth?  Each day has enough worries of its own.  Trust God to know what you need, and relax (very loosely paraphrased).

When we worry about things over which we have no control – like the economy, the weather, or the people who surround us on every side – we can’t help but get uptight.  We can’t help but bounce up in the saddle when the horse is dropping down, and bouncing down hard in the saddle as the horse is coming up.  The ride becomes most unpleasant because a horse and rider out of sync is just a horse with a problem.

It is important to be able to ride out life’s little storms and recognize that most of them are just that – little.  There’s not a whole lot to get upset about or fret over.  The economy will do whatever it is going to do regardless of what I put into it or try to take out of it.  The sun will shine, or the clouds will gather no matter how hot or cold my attitude may be on any given day.  People will do whatever it is they do, and think whatever they think, and feel whatever they feel pretty much regardless of my own input.

So, why not just sit loose in the saddle and enjoy the ride?  Be prudent regarding finances and weather, but don’t be alarmed; be alert to the needs of those around you, but not consumed by them. 

If we can bring our own lives under control, wouldn’t that be a move in the right direction?  Wouldn’t that make life better for everyone?

Until then, we can just horse around until we’ve figured it out in this, our valley.