Maddie walked into my kitchen, after work, stopping by to pick up some mail, and said, “Mom, I did something today.”

“Don’t you do something everyday?” I replied with a winking smile.

“Not like this.” she answered. “I rescued a horse.”

My daughter’s heart.

That child has been rescuing things since she was tiny, but now, in adulthood, I’ve watched miraculous things happen through her hands and her trust in the One who brings healing through them. Covey, our big grey, suffered what should’ve been a fatal injury right before her eyes, and because of her fast action, and consistent care, he’s healthy, beautiful, and one of our best horses today. She’s cared for her friend’s big-money barrel horse who had a terrible wound on her leg that should’ve put her out of commission, but now only has a small scar, not visible as she’s tearing around that course. Other horses have bounced back from serious illness and injury, and even our barn cat, Milo, owes his life to her, after suffering a deep belly gash from what appeared to be an owl’s talon. Truly, it’s remarkable.

So, even though we didn’t need another horse on the property right now, she couldn’t stand by and let this guy endure his current circumstance any longer.

Meet Orion…

A 15-year-old stallion (until yesterday, as his first stop was the vet’s for “brain surgery”), he’s a few hundred pounds underweight, and in need of significant care, which Maddie is more than willing to provide. With time, patience, and persistence, she hopes to be able to restore his health and train him to be a therapy horse for our program.

It’s thrilling to me to watch things like this happen, because there is nothing like a good come-back story. Through great love, and healing hands, lives and hearts are restored to be able to contribute, themselves. It’s beautiful.

And it’s God.

It’s what He does every single minute of every single day, finding starving, hurting souls, and restoring them to health to be able to add their own light to the world. He’s done it for me, and He’ll do it for you.

One day, Orion will be restored to his former glory, and live up to the meaning of his name…

“Rising in the Sky”

If you trust your soul to the Healing Hands of the Great Physician, you will find that you’ll be rising, too.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  ~ Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.  ~ Jeremiah 17:14 ESV

For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord… ~ Jeremiah 30:17 ESV