There is no doubt that the best way to get to know our Lord is through His Word. I’m also confident that the fellowship of worshipping together is a balm for a believer’s soul. With all that said, my daughter Patrice shared a quote from our favorite western artist Charlie Russell that both touches our hearts and certainly feels true at the deepest level for anyone who has experienced it.
“You can see what man made from the seat of an automobile, but the best way to see what God made is from the back of a horse.”
-Charles M Russell
My father in law Les and husband Fred both concluded that they felt closest to their creator and Savior while riding out on the Owyhee desert. It’s as peaceful, awe inspiring and spiritual a place as you will ever find.
Organized religion is filled with so many exceptional traditions. It provides a framework to know God and answer our questions about His promises; but, with all of those remarkable things to recommend it, I’m personally struck by the quiet communion that takes place out in our mountains, canyons and desert vistas. Maybe it’s riding at 6,00-7,000 feet, or that the only sounds you hear are your horse’s shoes touching the rocky ground, wind off mountain or canyon walls, chirping birds or insects, your little cow dogs, lowing cattle or a babbling creek. It all adds up to a place where it feels possible to raise your hand into the sky and touch fingertips with our Lord and creator.
It’s surely one of the best places on the planet to be reassured that something far greater than a long ago “big bang” made all of this and that God surely created the horse and cow dog, both as helpmates and as special gifts to His most beloved children, those who tend to the animals, the land and one another….farmers and ranchers.
This column was inspired by a conversation between Kris Stewart and her daughter Patrice.
Both women are ranchers in Paradise Valley, Nevada.