A Tale of Two Horses

A parable often shared during Lent tells of two horses. It’s not biblical and not tied to the historical book The Tale of Two Horses by Tschiffely —it’s simply a modern spiritual story that Christians often use during Lent because of its message about weakness, grace, and God’s ability to work through our flaws. Let’s take a look.

A Tale of Two Horses

A story is told of two horses in a field. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car or walk past the field, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear a bell ring. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is so that he can follow. As you stand and watch these two horses, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray. When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have unconventional problems or insurmountable challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the ringing bell of those whom God places in our lives. At other times, we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way.

~ Author Unknown

Lenten Reflection

Lent is not a season that asks us to be stronger. It is a season that invites us to be truer. God does His best work not at the edges of our lives but right in the middle—where our faith wavers, where our habits cling to us, where our hope feels thin. Jesus does not wait for us at the finish line. He meets us on the road.

Every Lenten journey begins with grace, not grit. Before the prodigal son takes a single step home, the father is already running. Before Peter repents, Jesus is already praying for him. Even before we confess, God is already calling our name. Lent reminds us that God always makes the first move.

We often approach Lent with a list of what we want to fix. But God approaches Lent with a desire to heal what we hide. The places we avoid—our impatience, our fear, our resentment, our exhaustion—are the very places where grace wants to take root. Lent is not self‑improvement. Lent is surrender.

The Cross Reframes Everything

The Cross is not simply the end of Jesus’ life. It is the revelation of God’s heart. At the Cross, we learn:

• Love is stronger than fear.
• Mercy is stronger than judgment.
• Surrender is stronger than control.
• God is closer than we think.

Lent leads us to the Cross so we can see our lives through God’s eyes, not our own.

So in the remaining time of this Lenten Season, remind yourself to be open to where God wants to lead you. Surrender isn’t weakness, it’s transformation. God does His deepest work when we stop clenching our fists and finally let Him lead.

Please share your thoughts about this article in the “Comments” section.

Peace

If you like this article, you might enjoy:

Medicare And The Push For Universal Healthcare
The Death of Lazarus
Social Media Policies: Should the U.S. Follow Suit?