Speckles turned his head away, as if attempting to resist her temptation. But finally his stomach won out and he dropped the mirror into Lauren’s hand.
A shredded remnant of tape hung limply from the damp, smudged mirror. Lauren gave it a quick once-over. Other than some horse slobber, it seemed no worse for wear following its romp around the ranch.
The owner of the truck, a feeding volunteer, had heard all the commotion and came over.
“Um, did Speckles just . . . ?” he started to ask.
Lauren sheepishly held up the mirror. “I am so sorry,” she replied, trying hard not to laugh.
The volunteer took the mirror from Lauren and burst out laughing. His loud guffaw turned the culprit’s head.
“Serves me right for being too cheap to get it fixed the first time,” he chuckled.
Grateful for his laid-back attitude, Lauren wished she had the money to pay for a new mirror, but her own car was one repair away from being held together with duct tape!
A sense of humor was definitely a necessary requirement for working with horses. Hopefully, the man would get the mirror fixed or use some stronger duct tape. Or park farther away next time!
Thanks to Speckles’ escapade, Lauren was out of breath and her knees were throbbing. “Speckles, I have to cut the walk short this morning.” When Speckles rejoined Joey, the two handsome boys made their way to the far side of the paddock, near where some mares were grazing in the adjacent field. The Appaloosa geldings seemed to fancy themselves quite the ladies’ men with their heads held high and tails up, prancing back and forth.
Good grief. Lauren chuckled to herself. What a pair.
Lauren was headed back to the tack shed to return the lead rope when she saw Sarah pull into the parking lot.
“Hey there!” Lauren called out.
“Hey, yourself,” Sarah said. “What in the world have you been up to?”
“Oh, Speckles was up to his old tricks again this morning. Would you believe he tore a side-view mirror off a truck?”
“You’re kidding!” Sarah laughed. “He’s becoming quite the accomplished kleptomaniac, isn’t he?”
“And a fast one too,” Lauren replied. “He ran me all over the ranch. I could barely keep up with him. If he hadn’t stopped to show his prize to Joey, I’d probably still be chasing him.”
The two women made their way over to paddock two and leaned against the gate to watch Joey and Speckles graze.
“Will you look at that?” Sarah said, pointing to a shiny object nestled in the grass at the base of the gate. “I swear, those wind chimes spend more time on the ground than they do on the fence.” She reached through the gate to snag the fallen chime.
Lauren recognized it immediately. “That one is Speckles’ favorite,” she said, twirling the little ceramic frog sitting atop a lily pad. “He loves to bump it with his nose and make it jingle when we walk around the paddock.” She paused for a moment. “Funny, though, I could have sworn that one was hanging way over there.”
That’s when they noticed it. There, lying on the ground about twenty feet from the hay box, were about fifteen wind chimes in a type of zigzag line.
“How did that happen?” Sarah asked. She and Lauren looked at each other. “Speckles!” they blurted out simultaneously.
“You rascal,” Lauren called out to Speckles. “You’re the one who’s been taking these down, aren’t you?” Speckles nickered and shook his head.
“Don’t try to deny it,” Lauren teased.
It all makes sense now. The mouthy horse, irresistible dangling items, and a pasture-mate to impress with his plunder.
“Should we put them back up?” Sarah asked.
“I’m not sure we need to,” said Lauren, suddenly seeing the truth clearly for the first time—Joey didn’t need the chimes anymore. Speckles, the reformed bully of a horse couldn’t participate in sessions or do many things the other horses could, but he had an important job.
A tear trickled down her cheek.
“Speckles has become Joey’s eyes,” she whispered reverently to Sarah.
Sarah glanced at Lauren, then looked at Joey. “And Joey’s become his purpose,” she added, her voice overcome with emotion.
The women stood together silently for several minutes, watching the two spotted horses. As they turned back to do their chores, a searching nicker reverberated through the air, quickly followed by an answering neigh.
Lauren smiled. I will never grow tired of hearing that.
CHAPTER 14
KIM STOOD FACING THE Hope Reins office, trying to assess whether the fresh pine wreath she had hung on the door was straight. After making a slight adjustment, she turned around to take in the whole beautiful scene. Just like a Hallmark Christmas movie.
A huge canvas sign bearing the words “Merry Christmas—Love, Hope Reins” greeted visitors as they arrived. A large cypress Christmas tree stood just outside the office, and picnic tables were laden with candy canes, Christmas cookies, the ingredients for s’mores, and hot chocolate. Two-foot-tall plastic candy canes lined the walkways, bright red bows adorned the trees, and wreaths made of fresh pine and magnolia branches tied with burlap ribbon hung on each of the storage shed doors. There was also a large wooden star suspended by wire between two trees near the fire pit. Stockings, personalized with each horse’s name, hung from the gate on each paddock, and every hitching post was wrapped in garland.
“Can you believe this? We actually pulled this all together in less than a month, and for such a small amount of money,” Kim said to Barb, unable to contain her exuberance. “And, the weather is perfect! Not a raindrop in sight and the mildest temperatures I can recall in December.” God had provided, and she was still in awe.
“Are you ready?” Barb asked, her face beaming with excitement and hope.
Am I ready? Will I ever be truly ready to ask people for money? Taking care of horses? Sure. Helping kids find hope through a relationship with a horse? Telling them about Jesus? Absolutely. But asking people for money so they could keep doing those things? Not so much.
“I don’t think I have much choice, do I?” Kim said, trying to keep her tone light. “I just pray we will raise enough to keep us going for a few more months. I can’t even think about the alternative.”
Barb squeezed her hand. “Sweetie, try to relax. You’ve invited some great potential donors and reached out to some wonderful people who have already given generously to the ministry and will likely do so again when they hear the families’ stories. You have turned this ranch into a Christmas wonderland. It’s going to be a terrific afternoon.”
Kim had been excited about the guest list, which included many generous past donors, all the volunteers and families receiving services at Hope Reins, pastors and leaders from several local churches, a news reporter from WRAL, and even the lieutenant governor of North Carolina.
But will they support our cause? she lamented silently.
Trust.
The word again drifted through her mind. She had trusted God with the weather. Surely she could trust him with the donations. Yet at the moment, weather seemed a far easier request.
As Barb headed over to the refreshment table for a final check, Kim decided to use the last few minutes before the first guests arrived to go and check on Joey, who had recently had all of his wind chimes taken down in the paddock. Kim missed the cheerful tingle of the chimes, but the truth was, Joey didn’t need them anymore.
“Well, look at you, Mr. No More Wind Chimes,” Kim called out to Joey, who was standing near the water trough. “You’ve really come a long way, haven’t you? And you,” she said, calling louder to Speckles, who had moved as far away as he could from the increasing noise and activity. “You make one special companion.”
Kim scratched Joey between his ears. “Lord,” she prayed aloud, leaning into the horse who brought her such comfort and strength, “if it’s your will, please let us keep doing this. Please let Hope Reins continue. And Lord, please,
please help me trust you more.”
The cheerful voice of Brenda Lee singing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was the signal that the festivities were about to begin.
Kim gave Joey one more good scratch and took a deep breath. “I’ll see you later.”
A chorus of voices yelled “Cheese!” in unison as Mike snapped a picture.
Kim, Lauren, Barb, Jo Anne, Sarah, and several other volunteers had all crowded around Joey for a photo. Joey had been transformed into a holiday horse with a bright Santa hat, and he reveled in the extra attention.
A line of guests, mostly small children, had formed in front of his paddock, all eager to get their picture taken with the Appaloosa in festive attire. Young faces lit up with joy, and there were squeals of delight when Mark, one of the training volunteers, fed Joey a carrot. Joey really loved his carrots!
Ornaments were being decorated at the craft tables to be added to the Hope Reins tree. Other horses wearing Santa hats were having their pictures taken, too, in the common area.
Everything seems to be running smoothly. Kim felt her shoulders relax slightly as Mike gave her a hug. She had wanted this afternoon to be a sweet time of celebration and fun, and that was exactly what was transpiring.
Static from the borrowed sound system got their attention, then Hank’s voice announced that it was time for the horses to be returned to their fields and all the guests to head over to the Christmas tree.
Kim’s shoulders tensed again. She had been secretly dreading this part.
“Looks like you’re up,” Mike whispered in her ear, then kissed her on the forehead. “You’ve got this, Kim. Just speak from your heart.”
She wished she shared Mike’s confidence or could even ask him to make the remarks. But the fact was she had to do this. How would people know about all the amazing things Hope Reins did if she didn’t tell them? How would they know what to give—why to give—if she didn’t tell them? God had given her this ministry, and she couldn’t pick and choose what she did and did not want to do for this endeavor.
Guests quickly took seats around the large cypress tree that had been transformed with Christmas lights, popcorn garlands, and wooden ornaments painted and hung by the children earlier in the afternoon. Kim glanced at the assembled crowd. She had greeted each person as they arrived, noticing many familiar faces—volunteers, board members, church friends, neighbors, members of Bay Leaf Baptist Church, and Dr. Gallagher. But there were also countless people who were first-time visitors at Hope Reins.
“I am so excited to be able to welcome you to the first-ever Hope Reins Christmas Celebration and Fund-Raiser. We are so blessed and grateful to have you here. Just a year and a half ago, this ranch was little more than an idea. But thanks to the tireless dedication and generosity of many of the people gathered here today—champions who have stepped up in faith because they wanted to make a difference—Hope Reins has become a reality.”
A small round of applause broke out, led by Barb, Lauren, and Sarah. Behind them, Mike smiled, clapped, and nodded in support. Kim took a deep, steadying breath before continuing.
“Our mission at Hope Reins is to pair a horse with a hurting child, to help open that child’s heart. But our cause is not just kids and horses. Hope Reins is based upon 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, which explains that God comforts us in our time of need, so that we can comfort others in their time of need. That’s what Hope Reins is all about —providing comfort and healing for others, just as God provides for us.”
Kim’s voice grew stronger with every word.
“That comfort is not reserved just for the hurting children and their families, though. It is freely offered to our volunteers, to people who come for a tour, and to every person who donates their time, their energy, and, yes, their money. We consider everyone who walks up our driveway and contributes to our cause a member of the Hope Reins family—because that’s what we are.” She looked directly at the small cluster of volunteers standing right up front.
Another round of applause erupted. Behind the gathered crowd, Joey whinnied and stomped his foot, momentarily drawing attention away from Kim, who welcomed the opportunity to clear her throat.
“Yes, Joey, I’m getting to you,” Kim joked.
“You’ll notice I said the word freely a moment ago,” she continued. “There’s a reason for that. Just as the comfort and healing of Jesus is offered freely, the services at Hope Reins are offered 100 percent free of charge to the families we serve. Many of our families would not be able to afford this kind of personalized service, and so from the very beginning, we were determined that no family would be asked to pay for their child to visit Hope Reins, and we want to keep it that way.”
Kim looked around the crowd, her gaze falling on several of the families they served. Sitting in the back was Marcus, the first child to ever participate in a session at Hope Reins. Since Marcus had been in foster care for years, Kim had been delighted to see him form a strong bond with Gabe. To Kim’s right was Ella, a sweet seven-year-old who had become withdrawn following the death of her baby sister. Her mom told Kim that for weeks, the only time Ella would smile was when she was with Josie, whose small size provided Ella with an opportunity to tenderly care for her as she no longer could for her sister.
To Kim’s left was Andrew, a shy boy of eleven who had discovered a friend in Shiloh, who was also slow to warm up to people. The two built trust in each other and loved to play soccer together in the arena. Andrew’s dad reported that he had even made a new friend at school recently and attributed that to Andrew’s sessions with Shiloh. And sitting right in front of Kim were Cindy and Aly. Kim’s throat tightened at the image of mother and daughter, still waiting for their breakthrough moment. Still hoping for healing. Kim couldn’t help but wink at Cindy, hoping the gesture conveyed her admiration for the woman.
“I would very much like to introduce you to one of the families we are privileged to serve. Please meet Ellen and Christine.”
Kim extended her hand to fourteen-year-old Christine and her mother. She put her arm around Christine. “These beautiful ladies have agreed to share some of their story with you all today, so I am going to turn the microphone over to them.”
Kim took a few steps back as Ellen began to share from a sheet of paper, which shook ever so slightly in her grip.
“After moving to Raleigh from Long Island following a difficult divorce, I noticed that Christine began having a hard time. She was anxious, fearful, and closed off. At first I thought it was normal teenage stuff, but she just kept retreating further and further from me.” Ellen glanced at her daughter, and Christine nodded silent permission to continue.
“It wasn’t until I discovered the scars on her arms that I realized we had a real problem. My beautiful baby girl was cutting herself.” Christine looked down. Her mother grabbed hold of her hand.
“We began seeing a therapist to address some of the issues Christine was facing—things like abandonment and depression. But the therapist also recommended additional therapy—specifically equine therapy, which she said would give Christine a chance to practice social interactions in a nonthreatening environment. She gave us information about Hope Reins.”
Ellen’s eyes filled with tears. “I cannot begin to tell you what a huge impact this place has made on my daughter—and on me. The moment Christine stepped out of the car, it was like she had come home. She met all the horses but seemed to have this instant connection to Deetz, who had just recently come to the ranch.”
Christine smiled at the mention of her favorite horse.
“She began talking to Deetz while she groomed him. She worked hard to build trust with him so she could ride him. She even asked if she could help clean up the manure in his pasture.”
Ellen glanced at Kim. “It’s as if by caring for Deetz, Christine was learning to care for herself. And as she learned to care for herself, she—we—discovered there’s a God who cares deeply for us.”
She looked toward the sk
y for a brief moment before resuming. “However, for a single mom with serious health problems, money is tight. We would not be here if not for those of you who give to make this all possible.” Ellen squeezed her daughter’s hand once again. “We both thank you and urge you to keep giving.”
Kim’s heart soared as she hugged Ellen and Christine and thanked them for sharing their story.
“Well, folks, I couldn’t have said that any better. I mean, that is why we are here and why we do what we do. Your donations make all of that possible.”
Kim motioned to Pastor Jacumin. “I want to acknowledge the incredible generosity of the church who provided the land around you. Because of this benefactor, we pay next to nothing for this beautiful property. And I want to thank a loyal group of volunteers who feed the horses twice a day, help run sessions, do minor repairs, and load wheelbarrows full of poop each week. But caring for horses is not cheap, and even more so for us because more than half of our horses are dealing with the effects of abuse and neglect.”
She pointed to Joey. “Horses like our Joey, who was left permanently blind because of horrible neglect.”
Kim heard several gasps from the audience. “He has found a second chance here at Hope Reins, but he and his pasture-mate, Speckles, who has a similar heartbreaking story, both require specialized care. Add to that the cost of maintaining a ranch, and it all adds up.”
Lord, please provide, she silently prayed.
“We would be honored if you would be willing to join our cause—to partner with us through making a donation. Would you prayerfully consider supporting us financially? If so, stop by the commitment table and consider the ways you might be able to help. Please enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Spend some time with the horses and help yourselves to the refreshments.”
After Kim closed in prayer, the guests began to disperse, and she exhaled deeply. Mike made his way through the crowd.
“You did good, babe,” he said, enveloping her in a warm hug.
“I hope it was enough.”
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