Meekness: The Enactment of Divine Strength

The summer has been full of interesting weather which has affected more variables than perhaps any of us are aware.  Most recently I have come to find out that the horse I thought might have a stone bruise or such leading to her tender feet actually had a yeast infection in the frog of her hoof!  To be so incapacitated by such a small organism is simply confounding.

As I cleaned things out tonight the mare winced in pain, in spite of how tender I attempted my touch. I was in awe again at how a 1000 pound animal will choose to submit herself to my hand rather than merely enacting a fear response and pulling away.  What a beautiful demonstration of trust.  What a beautiful demonstration of meekness.

So many times we confuse meekness with weakness; but they are NOTHING alike.  A dear friend who is  now passed once shared with me that the word meek was originally used to describe a highly trained war horse.  These animals are far from weak. Yet to be effective, the animal must remain at the complete disposal of the rider; seamlessly in tune to each request.  Not weak, but supremely yielded to the authority of the rider.  Meekness then, is actually extreme rippling muscles of highly trained and strategically developed power that is consciously submitted into trusted hands.

I wouldn't say that my horse is a fighting machine.  But she is trained and gentled and chooses to trust; and these are the things that make her so very winsome.  During these times of pain, she may only remain with me for 5 minutes at a time, then the pain is too much and she finds it necessary to pull away for a while.  I don’t punish her for pulling away because I understand she is in pain.  To punish during this time would create a heightened stress response, counter intuitive to my desire as her physician.  During her recoil, my roll changes from a physician offering treatment, to a counselor. I come alongside her to sooth and encourage endurance, if at least for only 5 minutes more, so that the physician can step back in with further healing that can spread and encourage resistance to further decay.  

And as I work to diligently improve the well being of my horse, how much more so does God act to improve my personal well being?  Like the mare, I must chose to resist my fear response of pulling away.  I can choose to beautifully demonstrate trust.  I can only imagine that God must feel pride in us as we make these conscious choices.  And I am learning that to not act in my will, but to listen to His above all else, is not weakness.  It is meekness and thus is the enactment of divine strength.  It is power under control.  HIS control.  And His control is perfectly balanced.  He wants to heal, but will patiently wait, acting as my counselor so that I am ready to begin allowing Him to heal whatever has caused my pain, even if for only 5 minutes at a time. 

Thank you, Lord, that you are gentle.  Thank you for your kindness.  Continue to show me what is in need of healing within my life.  Thank you for your patient work in me.  Thank you for your loving support when I need a break that prepares me for your deeper work.  Thank you for being the Great Physician, our Counselor, our King, and the Loving Father you show yourself to be each and every day.  Amen.