“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
–Isaiah 42:16 (NIV)

November 2, 2018 was our fifth wedding anniversary. Timothy and I spent the weekend in Prescott, at the same hotel where we spent our honeymoon. The weekend was full of fun activities like shopping and eating out, but the centerpiece of our vacation was a surprise Tim had planned out months in advance.
On the morning of November 3, a woman named Debbie picked us up in her car, stating that we had a lot to do that morning. She brought us to a 200-acre ranch house, and she said that by the end of the morning, we would learn to communicate with her horses.
“This really is a surprise!” I thought. I had taken horseback-riding classes as a child, but this woman was about to give us a hands-on experience!
Soon we arrived at Hallelujah Horse Ranch, and our new friend informed us that our first stop on the grand tour was the lead mare’s stall. We would be visiting with her and her baby.
“There’s one thing you need to know before we go in,” Debbie told us. “The lead horse in any herd will always make fast friends with humans who walk like leaders when they approach her. If you don’t walk up to her with purpose and without stumbling, she won’t be too interested in you. That’s just how it works in this case.”
Debbie proceeded to help us practice walking like leaders a few times. This meant that we walked a bit more quickly than usual, and we made sure our steps were purposeful, instead of taking soft or halting steps.
Once we had the basic walk down, Debbie emphasized that we all had to start walking with the left foot first.
“If one of you starts with the left foot and the other starts on the right, you’ll be out of balance. Let’s both try it.”
When Debbie and I started walking with opposite feet, our walk became somewhat uneven, and we bumped against each other every couple steps. In short, as long as I followed Debbie’s instructions and walked in rhythm and balance with her, we walked like a couple of leaders. But if we started walking on opposing feet, everything felt unbalanced, and it was rather hard to walk straight when we kept running into each other. We must have looked more like two stumbling people who weren’t sure of themselves, instead of a proper team.
That morning we had an amazing experience getting to know the horses. I loved petting their furry bodies and learning their names and personalities. As a group, the horses had a very calming effect on me. But as wonderful as the morning was, something about our leader walk stood out for me.
In this world, many of us like to believe that we don’t need God’s leadership. We like to think that we have everything under control, and that we’re always doing a great job getting by on our own.
But as Christians, we are meant to follow and trust in God. He is our loving Father, so because we are His children, we are meant to be dependent upon and obedient to Him at all times.
We may want to do our own thing and move ahead of God, but the book of Proverbs cautions us to trust in God with all our hearts, instead of following our own instincts.
I pray that you will come to trust in the Lord and follow His lead, instead of moving against His divine plan for your life. If you do know Jesus, pray that He will give you the desire to follow His lead. If not, I recommend that you read up on God’s Word in the Bible, pray and repent of your sins. We often put a harsh meaning on the word repentance, but it just meangs changing your mind and coming to know the best friend you’ll ever make.
If you feel like your life is out of balance and you don’t want to take on life by yourself anymore, learn to walk with God so you can face good times and bad together! Also, by walking with God, we can live on a higher plane spiritually. So if you feel like you’re walking with two left feet, spend time getting to know Him. You will find that this is the best investment you have ever made, helping you walk in line with the purposes of His Word.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Monday night Bible study or Tuesday night prayer meeting. Both are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-432-6499. When prompted, press 1 for live chat rooms, and we’ll be waiting in room 31. You can press pound to bypass our friend Sharon’s intro message once you’ve entered room 31. We hope to talk with you soon!
If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.