More than twenty years ago, I had the privilege of being a mentor to a local fourth-grade boy. One of the ways we connected was through horses. Horses gave us something to do together, and, most importantly, time; time to talk, listen, laugh, and build a relationship.
One day, we were sitting on horses in the middle of the pasture when this young boy asked me a question I will never forget.
“Mr. Tom, if my parents die, will you adopt me?”
When he said “parents,” he meant his grandparents, who were in their seventies and raising him. I don't think he ever knew his father, and his mother had been absent and in jail for much of his life.
So this wasn't simply a hypothetical question about death. He was really asking, “What happens to me if the people I depend on are gone? Will somebody still want me? Will somebody take care of me?”
I was stunned. My mind scrambled for an answer, and I made what I now recognize as a pretty weak attempt to dodge the question.
“Oh, your parents aren't going to die.”
I was hoping he would move on.
He didn't.
“But if they do, will you?”
Man. This kid wasn't letting me off the hook.
I eventually told him something like, “April and I would definitely pray about that. We will certainly make sure you're taken care of.”
I still don't love my answer. It felt inadequate. And I don't like that a ten-year-old felt the need to ask a question like that in the first place.
But I am incredibly thankful I was there.
The horse wasn’t the point, but the horse was a very important bridge.
It gave us common ground and created a space where trust could grow. And eventually, that trust gave a young boy the freedom to share what was really on his heart.
That is one of the things I love about what New Life Ranch does through horses.
We certainly teach kids how to ride, but we are really after something much deeper. Through horses, staff have opportunities to teach patience, responsibility, courage, humility, perseverance, and trust. More importantly, they have opportunities to listen, encourage, challenge, and point young people toward Jesus.
A horse can get a kid's attention.
A horse can create an experience.
But a trusted mentor can help change a life.
Some of the most important moments in ministry aren't found in the activities themselves. They happen in the margins - in a pasture, around a campfire, walking back to the barn, or sitting quietly on top of a horse.
At New Life Ranch, we believe God uses relationships to transform lives.
Sometimes, a relationship begins with a conversation.
Sometimes, it begins with a horse.
The horse is the tool. The relationship is the ministry. And ultimately, Jesus is the reason.
