The testimony Our Provider reminds me of something that happened to us this last fall. Our family trains horses for a living and we were going thru lean times financially. Our son Jess was a participant in a 60 day trainers challenge (7 breeders donated a basically untouched 2 yr old colt each, and the 7 trainers picked to participate in the challenge each drew a breeders name out of a hat) They then had 60 days to work the colt. At the end of the 60 days there was to be a competition and a sale of the horses the following day. After the sale the proceeds were to be split between the trainer and the breeder.
click to enlarge
When the time came that the colts were to be delivered at the beginning of the 60 days, we got news that Jess's horse had a contagious sickness, and the breeder asked Jess if he wanted to withdraw from the competition. But Jess, knowing that the horse was from real good stock that have very trainable minds, said that he would just wait till the colt was better and then the breeder could bring him down.
Once the colt was better and delivered to our place, there was just over 30 days left before the competition ended. But the colt, whom we named Stonewall, was even more trainable then Jess had expected. We really wanted to buy him at the sale but were financially unable to do so. We prayed about it and left it in God's hands, and said that if it was His will, He would provide a way. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.
When the time came to travel to the competition, we weren't sure how we were going to get there, as we had no money to buy fuel. In faith we got ready to go, and two days before we were to leave, a client brought a horse to be trained and paid in advance, so now we had money to go down. We laughingly told Jess he better win so we would have money to come back home.
The day of the competition, Jess did the run and ended up winning first place! After his run, a client of ours, who is a barrel racer, introduced Jess to an acquaintance of hers, (a man named Grant, whose fiancé is also a barrel racer). He spoke with Jess at length, and in the course of conversation he asked Jess if he was going to buy this horse at the sale. Jess said that he really wanted to but was unable to, due to finances. Grant had watched Jess's performance and expressed interest in purchasing Stonewall.
At the sale the next day, Stonewall went thru the ring and was the highest selling colt from the challenge. Grant had purchased him. After he had paid for the horse he asked to see Jess. When Jess walked up to him, Grant told him "I got you something" and handed Jess a green card. Jess looked at it and asked "What is this?" and Grant said "It is the paper you need to walk your horse out of the barn, I bought him for you." We were speechless! And needless to say a few tears were shed.
The thought going thru our heads was that God knew the desire of our hearts, and was providing us with a horse that we couldn't afford to buy. We had a little family jubilee, giving thanks to God for his goodness. So not only did Jess win a small winner's purse and half of the proceeds from the sale of Stonewall (which helped us to get caught up on a few bills), but God led a complete stranger to give him the horse!
God Bless you all at VGR.