365 Project Day 334: I Married a Cowboy and Didn’t Even Know It

Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 4.5 aperture, 1/640 shutter, 200 ISO

I have loved horses all of my life. They are woven forever into the fabric of my heart. I have spoken of this passion many times on this blog. I had a horse when I was younger for a brief time, but had to give him up due to financial difficulties in my family. It was a shining bit of color in my growing up years. I will always be grateful to my mom for trying so hard to make it work.

As I grew older I began to mourn the loss of dreaming about horses. I didn’t believe I would ever really have one of my own. I was in college when I met Chris, and I remember sitting with him on the quad of my campus one day as I pondered the dreams of my little girl’s heart. I asked him if he thought God might give me a horse in heaven since I had come to believe I would probably never have one in this lifetime again. I had shifted my dreams into eternity. That seemed the safe thing to do. He didn’t really have an answer for me and I gave up dreaming about it.

For awhile.

At least until after we were married. Some dreams just won’t die.  After Annie was born, my passion for horses returned in spades when someone we knew was selling theirs for a reasonable price. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I am pretty sure Chris was questioning his choice of wives at this point. He thought horses were nice, but did not understand this obsession. He did love me though, and he gave in to my desires and we bought that first horse. She was the beginning of a long string of  equine purchases we would make over the years. Many of them were not good decisions. But, the three we have now are wonderful.

I am grateful for the tenacity of God-given dreams.

Here is the amazing thing. God has once again surpassed my expectations and kissed me straight on my forehead with this husband of mine. I never thought I would marry a man who loved to ride too. I married the man I fell in love with, fully believing that there were some things I just would not get to have. I secretly wanted a man who loved horses too. One who would saddle up and mosey down the road with me into the sunset,with the sounds of  hooves clip-clopping melodies onto pavement. This is the stuff from which my dreams were spun.

This is what I am living in now. A dream beyond all I had hoped for. God went the extra mile. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I have my cowboy. Sometimes God takes the long way in giving us the desires of our hearts. I now believe I should never give up on the dreams He has sown deeply within me. He gives us desires so that He can meet them. It is His joy. He just wants to know that we love Him more than we love anything He can give us.

I am grateful for my Cowboy tonight, and for my God who sees me and blows me kisses daily.

Never stop dreaming or believing in the God who put those dreams into your heart. He is the Kind King.

 Psalm 16:11 ~”You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”