Today,  I watch her during weekly riding lessons. I try to remember the exact moment that her infatuation with horses turned into “love?” Perhaps it was a stuffed toy that we gave her? Maybe it was the first time that her Pa let her rub the silky mane of one of the many he has owned or perched her atop one of their backs? Honestly, I can’t remember a time when she didn’t love a horse. I just thought that every little girl goes through the magical “horse” stage.  The stage never faded, neither did  her dream of riding.

Having your own horse would have to be every little girls dream. On her 8th birthday, she is the proud owner of a Shetland Pony named Patience. Needless to say, the name was already chosen, and rightfully so. It took a lot of it for this little girl to wait for a 4 legged friend. I think it was one of those smiles that are forever seered into memory. A horse of her own, a keeper of all of her secrets….hoofprints on her heart that she will never forget. Sadly, we didn’t realized how quickly she would soon outgrow a pony…so she dared to dream…again.

So what do you do when you outgrow your first pony? Dream. Dream Again. She can outgrow a pony, but she is determined to not outgrow her dream. Keeping your Dreams takes persistance and faith, even on the level of an 8 year old. When she would doubt, I would remind her that Patience was an answer to her prayers, that God knew the desires of her heart. That’s how He works. All-knowing. There would be other opportunities to keep her dream alive. She agreed and trusted that her Momma knew what she was talking about. (I prayed even harder for it to be a reality) Faith lessons – the kind we hope will stay with them for a lifetime.

Now I’m not totally sure that her Pa “had” to bring his horses here? But, I do remember the same smile on her face when that red horse trailer came rolling down our path! I remember the prayers to keep her dream alive. Not one, but TWO horses! Dreams…still living, breathing the horse girl dream! Bamma Anne and Pretty Girl, Pa’s horses contributing to a now 10 year old girl’s whole world – Her Pa and horses! According to her, Pa knows all there is to know about the dream. They are bonded. They are intertwined forever by their love for these animals. It’s their thing. It’s what they talk about when they are together, and when they are 400 miles apart. Sometimes we unknowingly keep other people’s dreams alive as well. Pa will soon be 79 years young. And when they get together again? I have no doubts about the dream. They will ride.

When lessons were over today,  I thought about how many times her dreams have kept us striving to keep them alive and how many things we continue to learn about having dreams. I thought about how much she has prayed for it to be possible to take riding lessons. I smile knowing how faithful God is! Will she always ride? I hope so. Will she always Dream? I surely do hope so!

What is your Dream? Have you kept them hidden but still hoping?  It doesn’t really matter…it’s all about “Keeping Your Dreams!”