I first saw "Boss" at the stable of Preacher Phillips. The "preacher" was a local pastor, used car salesman and horse dealer rolled into one. I really learned to like the old man, but always went with both eyes open. He told me about a new horse he had that I might be interested in. Mr. Phillips showed me a muscular, yet not overbuilt Quarter Horse - Appaloosa cross gelding 2 years old. He warned me he was not broken and that the horse was a "handful", and he felt too old to try and break him, as the horse was over 16 hands high (60 inches at the shoulders).

Mr. Phillips showed me the horse's papers and I was impressed. His sire was a Quarter Horse with a $10,000.00 stud fee. His grandsire was the famous "Go Man Go" a Quarter Horse racing legend. The horse moved powerfully, yet with an incredibly graceful gait. He was just what I could use for Fox Hunting or horse shows. His price - a paltry $400.00.

The one small drawback was this horse was big and VERY fearful. It seems "Bubba" somewhere was going to break this horse the good ol' fashioned way - by beating him into submission. The problem with this horse was his "blood" had a mostly Thoroughbred component and he didn't take to beating. It only made him more fearful, and as powerful as he was, more dangerous. When I approached the horse he naturally tensed up expecting the worst, after all he knew what being abused was all about.

We bought the horse and gradually earned his trust. In fact, "Boss" became my favorite horse. He learned to trust me, and I could feel how he tried to please me and how much he enjoyed being ridden.

In our lives and churches, we will also run across "Bosses". People who have great pedigrees and wonderful potential, but who have been beaten down in life or hurt in "church business", now even reluctant to let anyone get close for fear of being hurt again.
Where is your "Boss" in life?
Are you willing to spend the time to break down the wall between you both and help them heal from the abuse? Or will you just give up afraid of being hurt yourself?
Maybe you have a bit of him yourself in some area that you have walled off from others, and even God.
Pray for those who are hurting and pray for yourself.
For until that fear is conquered, true "breaking" to the will of the Father can never come, just as Boss had to overcome his fear before he could be broken to ride.
And what a ride he was! And what a ride it will be!