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Horse Around

Horse Around

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Horse Around--Diana Derringer on Appaloosa horse in front of house and treesOur family owned a couple of horses for a brief time. We did not race them, show them, or make money from them. We simply enjoyed them. Dad bought horses for us to horse around.

To horse around means to play or waste time.

The activity has no purpose. We often horse around while we avoid work we need to do. Goofing off feels like more fun than work.

Sometimes we horse around in a rough way.

We get rowdy or aggravate others. Occasionally we hurt them. Sometimes we mean to cause their pain. Other times, our rough play causes accidents.

We can all use a little horseplay, if we don’t get too rough.

It allows us to rest our minds and have a fun time. However, when we get too rowdy, we need to hold our horses.

Enjoy life but allow others the same privilege.

Let’s keep our priorities in order.

Responsibilities come first. Then time to relax. We don’t want to put the cart before the horse.

God gives us a few years on earth. Whether working or horsing around, let’s make the most of the time we have to serve God and help one another.

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture” (Psalm 37:3 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion.

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Chomp at the Bit

Chomp at the Bit

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Chomp at the Bit-Horse with bridle and bitOur family had horses when I was a teenager. I loved to ride, but my sister preferred to keep both feet on the ground. She did not trust horses, especially when they chomped at the bit.

Like many horses, ours wanted to go immediately, and they wanted to go fast. That was especially true when they saw water or food ahead.

A cousin convinced my sister to ride with him one afternoon. The closer they came to the end of their trip, the faster the horse ran. When they went under an apple tree branch, our cousin lowered his head. Gail did not see the branch, and it knocked her to the ground. That was the end of her horseback riding.

To chomp at the bit refers to a horse biting its bit (mouthpiece).

According to The Phrase Finder, the original phrase was champ at the bit. Both chomp and champ refer to biting or chewing. Excited horses chomp at the bit before a race begins. They have a hard time waiting.

People also chomp at the bit.

We may not have a piece of metal in our mouths. However, we definitely get impatient. Few of us enjoy delay. We want everything immediately, if not sooner.

  • Babies want to be fed.
  • Children want to play.
  • Teenagers want to drive.
  • Adults want good jobs.
  • Almost everyone wants love and acceptance.

We want what we want when we want it.

Like bits guide horses, wisdom guides people.

Yet, we need to find trustworthy sources for truth. Let’s never chomp at the bit until we know we are:

  • Following the right source.
  • Going the right direction

Until then, let’s hold our horses.

“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you” (Psalm 32:9 NIV).

Thanks to Tracy Crump for the suggestion. Image by Ainslie Gilles-Patel from Pixabay.

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Put Our Hand to the Plow

Put Our Hand to the Plow

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Put Our Hand to the Plow--horses pulling old plowWhen we put our hand to the plow, we are ready to work.

Years ago farmers ran their plows behind horses or mules. When they put their hand to the plow, they usually had a full day of work.

A few people still prepare their land for planting the old way. However, most farmers today use tractors with bigger plows.

Homeplace on Green River hosts Plow Day each spring. During this festival, people watch farmers plow like they did in the good old days. They see the ground break open, ready for planting.

In the past, when seeds began to grow, farmers had hard rows to hoe. Harvest time meant more work

Most farmers today have easier ways to work. However, farming still means long, hard days.

When we put our hand to the plow, we have hard work ahead.

We may not plow fields. Yet, we face long hours with much to do.

Sometimes we put our hand to the plow for ourselves. Other times we put our hand to the plow for someone else.

Whether farmers or office workers, we can experience the joy of hard work and a job well done. At the end of those long days, most of us are ready to hit the hay.

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:62 NIV).

Thanks to Sarah Borders Creason for the photo from Homeplace on Green River’s 2016 Plow Day.

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Hold Your Horses

Hold Your Horses

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Hold Your HorsesAs small children, my sister and I did not enjoy shopping. Instead, we wanted to play. So, when we had to shop with Mom or Dad, we walked fast.

Like horses ready for a race, we had one goal. We wanted to return home, the quicker the better. Our plan had one problem. When we walked fast, our parents usually yelled, “Hold your horses!” They were telling us to stop. It wasn’t time to go. We needed to buy groceries or clothes.

Similar to horses obeying their riders, we obeyed our parents. We walked slower. We tried to bridle (a nice horsy word) our energy. We didn’t enjoy it. It interfered with our plans. Yet it taught us important lessons.

Listening to our parents helped us avoid danger. Later we learned to identify those dangers for ourselves.  Just like young horses, we needed guidance. We needed patience. We needed to learn to use our energy for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2 NIV).

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