Several years ago a lady asked me to ride a big heavy built bay and white paint gelding that she was considering selling. He lacked riding and maturing but had the makings of a good head horse. I asked for permission to take the horse to the Alder Creek cattle ranch in Nevada for a couple of weeks. I knew if I was able to get some rides on him I would know more of what he was made of.
Two days later I headed for the ranch with a lot of anticipation to see some good friends and beautiful country. It’s a seven hour drive if you go hard. I finally arrived, corralled the paint and my roan and went to the ranch house. We were to head out the next morning.
I had trouble sleeping that night. My stomach was going crazy and I was waking regularly thinking about the plans for the next few days. By morning my stomach was killing me. I spent the next five days with the stomach flu, hating life, and wanting to be out riding. Everything I ate came up or went straight through. On the morning of the sixth day I felt like I was over it. I got up and left the home place on the paint feeling really weak but determined to be in the saddle.
I didn’t plan to be out long because of my condition but the paint horse was really moving out and the weather was perfect. I headed up into the high country that had already been gathered. The foreman said there were a few head still up there that they couldn’t find. After a few hours I stumbled upon the few that had eluded the others and I gathered them up thinking I would be the hero for bringing them in. I hurriedly started them down a canyon that I had never been down before, figuring it would lead down to the ranch. It had a rock slide halfway down and that prevented the cattle from getting through. It was very brushy and I should have been aware that the animals couldn’t get through, but I was determined and got off the horse continuing to push through the brush on foot hoping there would be an opening. As I was walking back up to where I had tied the horse I started to realize how exhausted I was. I had spent hours fighting a battle that I wasn’t going to win.
I hadn’t brought water to drink. I had become dehydrated, sweaty, light headed, nauseous, and cold. The sun was starting to go down I had no coat, no matches and no one knew where I was at. Being sick the past five days had really taken its toll on me. I just wanted to lie down and get some rest. I realized that I had made some real bad decisions in my lack of preparation. I felt panic rising up in me. The canyon stream that the cattle had been in was the only water available and my only option. I feared getting sicker by drinking the water but my body needed to be hydrated so I made the decision to drink it. Then I sat down and rested a while and allowed it to refresh me, clear my head and enable me to make my way out. However, the water I drank that day only temporarily sustained me until I was able to get more.
This situation reminded me of a lady in the Bible who Jesus asked for a drink of water, at a well in the city of Samaria. (John 4:10) After some discussion he told her that he would give her, “living water” that would cause her to never thirst again. She had made a lot of bad decisions in her life. He did not condemn her, but he told her that she could be forgiven and set free from the painful life that she had been living. John 7:37&38 says, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink, and rivers of living water will flow from within him.” Do you need a lasting drink? It’s free!.... Rope great! Seek God.
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