When I was a little girl, I wanted a horse more than anything. But because we didn’t live in the country, owning a horse just wasn’t a possibility. My grandmother who lived two hours away had a horse, Charlie Horse, and I think to ease my heart, she’d tell me that the horse was mine.

But I didn’t let that stop me from riding. No. I took advantage of the opportunities surrounding me … and my ride turned into a gallop around the entire yard. 

Barefoot.

Completely content. Joyous. Unashamed.

A good friend always told her boys, “You get what you get.” That meant … you’ll eat your supper. You’ll wear that shirt. You’ll play that game. You get what you get.

That so applies to life. We don’t always get what we want, do we?

What do you want?

What do I want? What are my heart’s desires?

Peace, love, purpose, life.

~And a wealth of adjectives, behind and before, to accompany every one of those nouns, some that only God knows.

Sometimes, we just … get what we get. It’s up to us to evaluate the surrounding opportunities and decide what we’ll pass on to our children, family, friends. In this short time we have. 

Our sweet baby at 18 months, after six months of chemotherapy … her hair finally coming in. And she can finally walk!

What are the surrounding opportunities?

A child’s tiny hand to hold.
A baby’s dress to fold.
A teenager turning bold.
A kid’s self-esteem to mold.
A pup needing aid from cold.
A spouse to value as gold.
A story waiting to be told.

Take it and ride. Gallop around the yard. Gallop around the pasture.

Gallop with abandon.

Completely content. Joyous. Unashamed.

Barefoot.

Feel God’s loving breath in your face.
Feel His hands hem you in behind … and before.
Feel His hand laid upon you.

You get what you get.

Yeah, I’ll take that.