Horse Tug of War

Can a powerful horse be pulled around by a few teenagers? Yes!  We had a youth group over recently to roast marshmallows and watch a calf roping demonstration in our arena.  An adult leader recognized a teaching moment, jumped over the fence, mounted the horse, and asked for volunteers to try and pull the horse.  We were all amazed that it worked.  The horse fiercely resisted but stumbled forward.  But this only worked when it was turned sideways. When the horse was pointed directly toward the kids, it could easily back up and start dragging them across the arena.

The lesson was clear to me. The key to harnessing the strength to overcome tough obstacles lies in confronting them head-on. If we ignore problems, simply hoping they will go away, we risk them pulling us over when we are least prepared. 

One reason we prefer avoiding over confronting is a mistaken belief about safety.  We think we are choosing the safe path when we avoid a difficult decision or discussion, but in the long run, the opposite is true.  I recommend the HRB article, “What is Worse Than a Difficult Conversation, Avoiding One,” The author concludes the article with, “The essential message is simple: safety is perilous, and difficulty is strengthening.”