Ride ‘Em, Cowboy

“Whoa, look, mom! A pony ride!”

A little boy, who can’t be more than four, leaps onto the mechanical horse ride in our grocery store, impatiently waits for his mom to deposit the penny, then hoots with excitement as the ride starts to rock back and forth.

“Whoohoo!” he shouts, swinging his arm in circles over his head like an adventurous cowboy roping a wild, mad bull.

It’s precious to watch this little, one-cent ride sweep this child up into a wild, daring adventure in which he is the unstoppable hero. And yet, all I can think as I watch him is, This kid doesn’t even know.

For this little boy, the only problems he has are which bad guys to chase down on his valiant steed. He is brave, wild, heroic, and completely oblivious to what awaits him in the adult world. He has absolutely no idea what kind of troubles are going to blindside him when he grows up, when that pony stops being magical and starts being exactly what it is: a thirty-second ride to occupy kids while their parents get their groceries bagged.

This is the trap of adulthood, isn’t it? The little pony ride that used to take us on breathtaking adventures becomes just a reminder that we’re barely passing the adulthood test. We have bills to pay, people to take care of, and a life to survive that becomes increasingly overwhelming every day.

But this little guy has it right; he isn’t concerned about where his next meal is coming from or whether the bills will be paid on time, because he knows his parents are capable and will take care of it. In this same way, we don’t need to worry about our future or making ends meet. That job belongs to our Heavenly Father, the most perfect parent we can ever have. He has this under control, and he will never let us down. When we have faith like a child, we suddenly find ourselves back on that pony ride, unstoppable and fearless in the face of a world we were meant to enjoy.

by Jensine Coles