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Faith's Journey - Selah

Debbie Peterson • March 30, 2024

The Lick-n-Chew Explained

PRO READING TIPS

| Tip A- Click on the links in brackets throughout the article for a deeper dive | Tip B- This is a long post, as it is two-months worth of our Faith Journey. If you must skip parts, the particularly relevant "horsey stuff" about filly, Faith is further down under the sub-heading, "Faith's Journey" | Tip C- Don't start reading unless you have lotsa time to "lick-n-chew" on it, OR refer to Tip B, but if you skip stuff, you will miss a lot! |

I learned something new today!

I had often wondered what the word, SELAH, meant. The Hebrew word, repeats randomly throughout the book of Psalms in the Bible. Curiosity got the best of me, and I finally looked it up. SELAH is a word meaning PAUSE; it lends technical structure to musical pieces, which makes sense, because the Psalms are basically a bunch of poems and song lyrics, inspired and preserved over the ages by God. The Psalms irrefutably comforts, encourages, edifies, admonishes, and exhorts humanity. Well, those who choose to look for such things in The Psalms, that is. Nothing does all of that quite as creatively and mercifully as God-inspired poetry and music.

Selah is such a harmonious-sounding word; don’t you think? I imagine the broader implication of the term can extend beyond musical applications. As such, it inclines my ear to read or hear “selah” as a call to find calm rest, much like how the pause in a melodious score might move the listener to inhale in excited anticipation and calmly exhale, finding a satisfying release. From time-to-time throughout my day, the Lord inspires me to consider restful contemplation, meditation and meaningful worship. On my best days, I submit to the Divine - not religiously or by strict compliance, rather fluidly and in tempo with my holy purpose for the day. A “pause” in the action of one moment usually leads me agreeably to the next.

ATTUNEMENT MATTERS

Selah, as I am applying the term in this article, considers what is happening, what is real, what is. This can be summed up in the term, consistent attunement. Horses are VERY good at this and we can learn it from them.

Misdirected attention can cause anxious flightiness, unnecessary aggression, or passive resistance & balkiness, if a horse (or person, for that matter) refuses to acknowledge or reflect on their present reality. An unwell state of dissociation is most likely caused by an internal or external perception of some fear-inducing commotion. Perception is not always reality. Sometimes we believe lies. Entire societies have been deluded and subsequently destroyed when enough individuals believed and followed lies. Believing lies is VERY DANGEROUS. [#1: TRUTH PRAYER]

In recovery circles, we call this DENIAL. My recovery coach (sponsor) used to say, “Debbie, you don't have to like your current situation, but you do have to accept it, if you want serenity.” Acceptance is key. [#2: ACCEPTANCE]

Popular buzz-words that refer to healthy attunement include terms like “mindfulness,” “being present” or “one with the universe”. I prefer to think of it as being in step with God and His plan & purpose for our lives. How is that accomplished without thoughtful, moment-by-moment reflection on REALITY? It isn't. Keep it simple, my friends: Father knows best! Seeking God and His plan FIRST greatly improves progress towards healthy connection in other relationships. Let's observe the following states of being and the way God designed mammals to respond to stimuli:

The state of PRESSURE vs. RELEASE. When we find ourselves contemplating pressure/release, our thinking may go like this, “I gotta save myself. No time to think... I gotta run away from that noise in the bushes, the frightful wind, that barking dog, troubled marriage, imperfect church, unruly kids, [fill in the blank].” This process represents the FLIGHT response, AKA good horse-sense OR possible trauma response that may not result in the best possible outcome. A healthy mammal, including horses and humans will naturally seek relief from pressure.
The state of INVITATION vs. TEMPTATION. When discerning between invitation and temptation, our attitudes may be, “The 'grass is greener' on the other side of the fence. Life will be better if I work to change my current situation, spouse, job, some aspect of my life...” This mind-set represents the FIGHT response, AKA good horse-sense (strong sense of justice) OR rebellion. Rebellion may look like irritability, indifference, entitlement, intolerance, impatience, bullying, etc. and may feel like apathy, frustration, anger, etc. A healthy choice, in this scenario would result in accepting a holy invitation as opposed to falling for an evil temptation.
The state of PLEASURE vs. PAIN. The ideas associated with pleasure and pain might be: “I am so comfortable in this lush pasture. I won't risk losing this. The price is too high! I don't have enough smarts, position, money, courage [fill in the blank], so I will wait here.” Situations like these may elicit the FREEZE response, AKA good horse-sense (strong faith, confident persistence) OR paralyzing survival-mode (often looks like indifference, laziness, procrastination, and feels like fear, anxiety or depression). Whether we find ourselves in a pleasurable or painful situation, the natural & healthy response is to push into it. Consider that waiting upon (or pushing into) the Lord for His direction may be the healthy response. [#3: REALITY CHECK]

God loves you perfectly, so even though others may (and in some cases, should) hold you accountable, ultimately YOU are choosing how to respond or react. In my humble opinion, God is the ONLY ONE who gets to weigh in on your ultimate destiny. Sometimes (actually, often), He uses other Christians to help guide or correct us, but factored to the lowest common denominator, He is all that matters, because He holds the keys to Heaven and Hell.

DEALING WITH FEELINGS

By God's design, our feelings give us clues about what's right for us in the moment. They are clues, not facts! That is important to understand. In a worse-case-scenario, if feelings start causing anything from mild confusion & uneasiness to psychosis & disease in the body, consider it a yellow or red flag to acknowledge & address emotions. It is best to do that BEFORE they start feeling like chaos in your body. I like to call this warning system a “feeling flag.” If you are unable or unwilling to find God's answers to the following WHY questions, consider the feelings associated with your WHY questions:

Why do I keep running from GOD to the point of exhaustion? Feeling flags: overwhelm, disconnection, fatigue, etc.
Why do I keep missing GOD in this destitute place? Feeling flags: loneliness, confusion, depression, anxious, hopeless, etc.
Why do I blame GOD? Feeling flags: resentful, bitter, angry

FIND YOUR SELAH

After you have banged your head on the brick wall called, “WHY” long enough, you will start FEELING the PAIN, which, by the way, probably started off as manageable pressure, if only Selah (your personal pause in the action) had happened sooner.

I suggest you lick-n-chew on “HOW,” regarding the pain points. What a glorious place to be! When the pain becomes greater than the fear, you are ready to receive the answer and if you “seek FIRST the Kingdom of God,” you will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle you. [#4: REALITY CHECK]

A case of point follows...

FAITH'S JOURNEY

To set up the BEFORE scenario, check out this video. I asked a young unknown (by me) horse trainer to give me an evaluation of my new filly. (I didn't know what I didn't know, until I took my Selah and Faith took her licks-n-chews.)

Did you watch it? Just my opinion, but I wasn't pleased with much about the trainers approach to my filly. After Faith's unhappy training session with my unknown trainer, as well as the session documented in my previous article, and with my pride firmly stuck in my throat, I consulted the expert. Ryan Rose is the horsemanship mentor that we have chosen to help walk us through the training of filly (sometimes silly), Faith.

I asked Ryan my questions about teaching her to lead behind. I carefully, watched the recommended training video that he sent me. Now, with a renewed mind, I received new strength and courage [#5: REALITY CHECK].

Here is the result that played out... [VIDEO]

You can see, I spent only 16 minutes with Faith doing the “Own My Space” game that Ryan Rose taught me. This time we won! We achieved healthy connection, boundaries were respected and a good time was had by both of us. What happened next astounded me and I got to taste the fruit of our short, more informed training session, immediately.

Often, I felt chaotic inside because I didn't know what to do with Faith. When this happens, I tend to revert to old patterns of behavior from pre-recovery days when I felt that familiar chaos in my gut. BUT, after one "mind renewing" session, I saw transformation in my relationship with Faith. Let me explain...

The other horses were outside with their morning hay and I kept Faith in the barn to eat and I decided to brush her during her breakfast. Faith could still see the other horses through a gate. Then a sudden rain storm popped up and she went ballistic trying to ram and jump the gate to get out of the barn to her herd-mates, who she was convinced would save her from certain annihilation of baby horse flesh. Thankfully, my homemade gate withstood her fearful reaction and she didn't get hurt. I stayed in the barn with her and she eventually found her comfort with me! (Sorry, no video of all that ruckus.) After spending just 16 minutes doing what the expert advised a day or two prior, there was a totally cool outcome, even though chaos (wind & rain, in this case) still poked in.

Because of the communication and connection that we had experienced together, just minutes earlier, she was able to see me, her faithful master. We connected, she heard me and perceived me as her reassuring leader. She was then able to stand quietly and safely while I picked up all four feet with the rain & wind whipping up outside. She wasn't restrained or tied to the wall. She simply CHOSE to trust me. She obeyed, because she knew I could be trusted. I am so grateful to Ryan for talking me through this. I am so grateful that I now have a new tool in my tool belt from a mentor - the "own my space" game. And of course, gratitude to God overarches it all. He led us safely through the fear of the unknown – we THREE together – me, my filly and The Lord, with some help from a teacher friend.

TO WRAP IT UP

My licking and chewing, or Selah - the term I have adopted to reference the human version of the reflective process - has led me to today’s step in my faith journey and my journey with filly - never willy nilly - Faith. God lights my way, but I must CHOOSE to step on the Divinely lighted path.

Conversely, I may use my will to follow any other path available to me. And there are many outward (worldly) and internal (diseased) alternate paths to tread! I know, for I have strayed into the dark a time or two. My wander lust usually starts off innocent enough, coming from a place of curiosity or naivity or ignorance. Occasionally, I look back and see the "Sonlight" radiating from His Heavenly Throne. That’s comforting. However, if I allow myself to be driven more completely by the inner turmoil or outward clatter, then my mortal ears will stop hearing His Voice, altogether. My finite vision loses the cross-hairs of my limited scope. I am in complete darkness and I hit a wall. It is not that Jesus has ceased speaking or stopped shining His Light in my direction. The truth is that I have CHOSEN to walk away, so far away that I cannot hear and see with my mortal being any longer.

If God had not given us free will, love would not be love, because at its very essence, love is a choice. What a genius God we worship, to think that up!

I humbly offer this word of caution: DO NOT FULLY IDENTIFY with your DISEASE, your ROLE in the world, nor your ETHNICITY, nor even your GENDER. Identify with Jesus and put on the robes of righteousness that He provides, DAILY. Let Almighty God tell you who you are and why you're here. I mean, He is the One that created you and it was His plan that put you on the planet. Then and only then will you find everything you need to figure out HOW to walk it out VICTORIOUSLY.

WALK-ON MY FRIENDS

Each day, each moment, each new setting or adventure and each challenging situation is an opportunity to CHOOSE the Light or wander in the dark. Some may say, but I have depression, ADHD or bipolar disorder or a substance use disorder or heart disease or cancer or grief or poverty or [fill in the blank]. To that Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30)

One reason I choose Jesus’ light is because He makes no allowance for all my ‘Ya, buts.’ To put it simply, Jesus protects me from the outside world AND heals my insides. Where He applies pain, I push into Him, and where He pressures, I move out with Him.

I would love to hear from you about your faith journey. Please comment, below or by email on our Facebook page. What path you are choosing this day? How is YOUR path lit; how will you know the next step to take? If you do not know Jesus, personally nor understand the Bible and how it applies to you and your particular circumstances or lifestyle, I invite you to reach out to me, privately. I don’t have all your answers, but I do know the One who does! And I do believe our horses will help shed some Jesus Light too.

Selah!

Thank you for reading Faith's Journey today. Below is a link to the complete playlist of this month's videos - the good, the bad & the ugly! Feel free to comment and I hope you will come again!

[FEBRUARY & MARCH 2024 PHOTO & VIDEO PLAYLIST (on YouTube)]

Here is a link to a video to a knowledgeable resource that I recommend. Check it out if you're interested...

[RYAN ROSE HORSEMANSHIP]