Many times, I catch myself saying that I like such and such town, and people look at me like I have two heads. “How can you like that place? It’s such a dive.” What I really mean is that I like the country around that town. Alturas, California is one of those places. Town, not so much. Country, I love. Horse trainer Bryan Neubert must feel the same way. Although he spent his youth in Salinas, California, learning from legendary horseman Bill Dorrance, his other mentor, Ray Hunt sent him to the big outfits of Nevada to learn horsemanship. Only after years of moving from ranch to ranch did he settle around Alturas where he has devoted his life to becoming a better horseman and raising three kids of whom he is most proud. Bryan Neubert learned to handle mustangs while in Nevada, and the patience it required to teach those wild horses transitioned into his relationship with other horses. He has become a sought-after clinician because of his ability to communicate with a horse without flash or frill, simply a relationship between a man and an animal. His kids have gone on in the horse world, as well. They grew up on those ranches, and Luke and Jim start colts for some of the biggest ranches in the country. Kate, Bryan’s daughter, is a cutting horse trainer who has won national championships as a reining horse rider, as well. They all attribute their abilities to God, but they are very thankful to have had their parents work ethic from which to learn in their formative years. I look at guys like Bryan Neubert, and I sometimes get a bit envious of his abilities, of the life he has been blessed to live. Then I hear him say, “Working with a horse is like learning to rope. Nothing anyone can say or do will teach timing or feel, but those can be acquired with practice.” The Neuberts didn’t just wake up one day as great horsemen; they became great horsemen because of a lot of wet saddle blankets, trial and error, learning from others, asking questions, and getting back on every time they got bucked off. That’s what has made them great horsemen. The same goes in our walk with Jesus. I see some fellow believers, and I just look up to them because of their lives. They’re heroes in their relationship with Jesus, and they’re amazing in their relationships with others. I always think, “Man, I want that.” Well, it didn’t come overnight. No more than a good, strong marriage comes overnight. Both are the result of years of hard work, struggle, and more hard work. Psalm 128:2 says, “You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.” That pretty much sums up Bryan Neubert, his kids, folks with a great relationship with God, or people with awesome marriages. It takes time. We can’t get into God’s word once a week and feel like we’re building a relationship. We can’t pray only when we’re in trouble and hope to know Jesus. It must be constant. Just like what Bryan Neubert says about nobody being able to say or do anything that will teach you time or feel, a Sunday sermon will not change your life. A daily, real relationship, made up of prayer, reading God’s word, and fellowhip will get us closer to those heroes of the faith we hold so dear.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 05:54:06 +0000
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