Bullseye

“Bullseye”

Sarah was determined to go horseback riding the week we were vacationing in Galveston, Texas....and she made it happen. The problem was, I hadn’t ridden a horse maybe.....ever....lol But I figured it was only a 30 minute ride, so what could go wrong. Boy was I terribly wrong!

We arrived at the horseback riding stable and there was a group of 5 of us. Sarah was put on the 1st horse, I was put on the last horse.  I got up on the saddle and my stirrups were to long. So, one of the workers was working on shortening them. He was asking me all these questions. Meanwhile, the Trail Guide was trying to instruct the group on everything we were supposed to know and do. Needless to say, I didn’t get the proper breakdown on how to handle the horse. 

To top that off, somehow I managed to get the stubborn horse named Bullseye! Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of this though until the end of the ride.

We started off the ride, I was nervous, but everything seemed fine. All except for some reason, my horse wouldn’t keep up with the other horses, he was staying behind.  So I decided to encourage him to keep up, before I knew it, he was galloping down the beach and I was hanging on for dear life trying not to fall off the horse! I was never so scared in my life! I thought for sure that I was going to fly off that horse!

The trail guide helped me get the horse back under control and then we continued on our ride. It was beautiful scenery, we rode along the ocean and the horses even went into the ocean.

We got a little further along and then my horse decided it was hungry.  He went off from everyone else to find grass, I could not convince the horse that it wasn’t hungry.  I was just stuck there until the trail guide came and rescued me! That happened about 3 times during this 30 minute ride!

As the ride was ending and we were riding towards the stables, another trail guide met me to help me in.  That is when I heard the horses name! He said to me “So is Bullseye giving you problems?” I said “Yes, but it would have probably been better if I would have known what I was doing.” That was when he told me that "Bullseye is just a stubborn horse and even the best riders have problems with him. He is just like a child and likes to see what he can get away with." All I could think was wow! And somehow I managed to get that horse!

Then it came time to dismount. I was so relieved, I had made it through the 30 minute ride and now I could finally get off that horse! But of course, I had the only horse that was refusing to let me dismount on the stairs! The worker couldn’t even get him to budge! That horse had planted himself in the sand and wasn’t moving! The worker finally got rough enough with the horse (with me on it) that he maneuvered him around and got me off the horse.  I was never so relieved to have my feet touch the ground at the end of that 30 minutes.

When I got off that horse, I was taken aback.  You see, for the last 3 months or so, my life had been chaotic. Everything that could go wrong, had been going wrong. So much so, that I had been constantly saying that I must have a “Bullseye” on me. 

Then God sends a horse named Bullseye and puts me on it to get my attention.  God definitely has a sense of humor! God had to put me on Bullseye so I could see what I was doing to myself. And how I did see myself in Bullseye! 

I am going to get real with you ladies and hope that you can understand. One thing I am is stubborn!  And as much as I like to think that I listen to what God tells me to do, and there are many times that I do.  But, there have also been many times these past 3 months that I didn’t. I turned my head and walked the other way. 

It got to the point in the past 3 months that I didn't like myself, I began doubting who I was and when all these crazy things kept happening to me, it seemed more anxiety was creeping in instead of peace.  There were many times these past 3 months that I, like Bullseye, began keeping myself behind others, in the back of the group, refusing to keep up.  

That is where God came in and put me on Bullseye. Bullseye was supposed to keep up with the other horses and the trail guide, but he stayed behind them all.  Never keeping up! And when he was constantly behind, he either galloped and about threw me off to catch back up or he became distracted by the grasses and wandered away from the group. Both of those things are dangerous!

When Bullseye galloped off, me being an inexperienced horse rider had no idea what to do!  When Bullseye wandered away toward the grasses I tried my hardest to maneuver him away, but I couldn’t. The trail guide had to leave the group of the other riders and horses to come get Bullseye!  

Bullseyes disobedience did many things.

1. It caused panic.  What was supposed to be a peaceful and scenic ride was no longer!   

2. It delayed our ride. 

3. It put the other riders in danger when the guide had to leave the group and come rescue me.  

Then the end of the ride comes HALLELUJAH!  I just wanted off that horse and my feet back on the ground! But I had a horse that had other ideas.  He was refusing to let me off!  An experienced worker had to bully this horse around to get me off of him.  He had to show the horse who was boss, who was stronger!

Ladies, when things become chaotic in our lives and panic and anxiety begin to creep in, we can't allow it to pull us back and away. We have to keep up! We are supposed to keep up! Don't allow the chaos to make you disobedient to Gods plans in your life.  Ladies, let us show the "bullseye" in our life that God is the Boss and He is Stronger! 

“Proclaim his majesty, all you mighty champions, you sons of Almighty God,

    giving all the glory and strength back to him!” 

Psalms 29:1 TPT

Music For You:

• It Only Gets Stronger by Jeremy Riddle