RUTHIE

(Revised September 2015)
 

Every person's communication with God is unique.  When we initiate communication with Him, we call it prayer.  We must remember, however, that God not only responds to our prayers but He also initiates contact with us.  Our success in hearing His voice is most often determined by our sensitivity to His spirit and our willingness to listen.  Recently, I received a message from God that was so loud and clear that I want to share it with you.

My MS symptoms are getting progressively worst.  Due to chronic body fatigue, leg weakness, and loss of balance and coordination, I began to realize that I could no longer train, groom, or independently ride, my horses.  It’s difficult to explain the love and connection I share with my horses and how much I need their companionship.  I found myself mourning the loss of being their prime caregiver and human connection.  My equine life-line was being severed and the loss was overwhelming me until God intervened.

 

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I was browsing through an animal adoption site when I came across a posting for a miniature horse.  Practicality told me to ignore the posting.  We already had six large riding horses in our six-stall barn.  Also, financially speaking, it was not a good time to add another horse to our barn, even if it was a little horse.  Despite practical reasoning, I sensed led to email an inquiry to the owners.  I reasoned that any response from the owners wouldn’t arrive for at least twenty-four hours which would give me time to pray about adopting the little horse and to see sense.  It was a good plan except that the owners called me within thirty minutes of receiving my inquiry.  Within an hour of the owners’ telephone call to me, my husband and I were on the road to an interview with them and to meet their little mare called Swishie.  My husband and I found Swishie’s owners, Cliff and Nancy, to be a wonderful Christian couple as well as loving and responsible animal parents.  Needing to live closer to their adult son, Cliff and Nancy were moving to another state and were scheduled to leave in less than two weeks.  As they could only take two of their three horses, Cliff and Nancy had been praying to find a loving forever-home for Swishie.  It soon became obvious that the answer to their prayers was for Swishie to join our family.  My family and I had ten days to build a stall and to upgrade the pasture fencing to accommodate a miniature horse. 

Was God behind Swishie’s coming to me?  I know He was.  The obvious benefit to Cliff and Nancy, as well as to my family and me, plus the circumstances and ease surrounding her arrival, reflect God’s touch.  Another detail which reflects God’s touch was the changing of Swishie’s name.  I was considering a couple “cute” names, but neither felt right for her.  So I asked God, “What should I name her?” Immediately, the name “Ruth.” came into my mind.  Ruth; such a reverent and elegant name for my little miniature mare!  The name seemed inappropriate.  I was confused and second guessing what I thought to be God’s answer until I looked up the definition for Ruth.  The Hebrew definition for Ruth is “Friend” and “Companion.”

"Message received, Papa.  I love You, too.”

Ruthie