In my youth, my body and mind always seemed to race in their efforts to catch up with my spirit. This spirit of maturity, sufficiency, and determination, all wound up into what now appeared to be like forage horse hay feeders…say what, you say?
🙂
Let me explain. A now common equine husbandry practice, horses are encouraged to feed from these type of feeders, because this process encourages a slower and more normal digestive process.
According to Kim Hallin of Stance Equine USA:
The primary benefits of slow-feeders are three-fold:
- They slow the rate of consumption, better mimicking the natural “trickle feeding” requirements of the horse’s digestive system
- They require the horse to “work” a little harder seeking out feedstuff and pulling the hay through the holes of the slow feeder. This mental stimulation helps prevent boredom and stress.
- When two or more slow feeders are placed strategically in a herd environment, horses will naturally migrate back and forth between feeders creating some additional gentle movement throughout the day – enough to help keep feedstuff flowing internally in the gut.
Based on the topic I’ve chosen for this week’s reflection, the three things I find prevalent from what’s written above are (a) slow rate, (b) work, and (c) gentle movement. My mind is wiser than its inhabitant. My way to love and to expand on it, firstly, must take time (move at a slow rate in the beginning). Secondly, two parties must understand each other, guard intimate thoughts, beliefs, and actions, as to hold sacred ground as Christ intended, and must consistently work at it. From my experience, the beginning is always sketchy, but when mutual feelings are revealed, it’s often magical. It’s been a while since I’ve experienced this from a human angle; yet, my mind is significantly familiar with it. And, thirdly this love is gentle and it is kind. It is perceptive, comes when needed the most, and sometimes requires no words. Just like God’s love for me and for us!
No say what…now. I think you get it. Right? You get it right? 🙂
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2
Though body and mind are always trying to catch the spirit. The thing is, the spirit of love never runs away. It would be delusional to assume it does. The chase and struggle is real though, especially when I don’t realize or recognize this beautiful spirit is moving toward me, and not from me. Mentally, at this moment, I approach my existence post-school and post-attachments in the utmost knowing that this earthly life is not infinite. The spirit of love is! It comes to me, even when I am not ready, it comes when I feel undeserving, when I am busy, when I am planting, when I sleep, when I stretch, when I paint my toenails 🙂 but mostly, it comes when I’m still. In stillness, mind attaches to soul in body, the spirit of love enters. Never complicated, spirit of love. This love of God from Him and/or transmitted through another, is there. There waiting, to here…Yes! Waiting for me to not run when I feel like it. Waiting for me to be still. This spirit of love.
I have one chance to know this love more, I want to know this love more, this love waits…
My life is not infinite, so I must not let this love wait. Yet, I wait for this love… 😉
My prayer:
Father thank you for lovely and beautiful surprises. Thank you for recognizing when fear crawls up to mess with my mind and soul. Mind and soul, though, are homogeneous in fitting in with the spirit of love. Like a puzzle, the pieces eventually fit, but it takes patience and slow thought, it takes work (it won’t come together on its own), and it takes gentle thoughts not to throw it into the air, when a piece is missing. Father, thank you for love, and for being you.
Your loving daughter,
Charlotte!
Spoken words:
Accompany me on my adventures. Know about what’s on my heart. Make beautiful things with me. Right here in my YouTube Community!
Horse feeder source:
https://stanceequineusa.com/why-you-should-reconsider-forage-slow-feeders/