By Guest Blogger Katy Pistole
I have loved horses since I could see. I remember being very young, maybe three, when a man came to the door of my family home with a small pinto pony, offering to take pictures for a fee. I still have that picture of myself with that horse, and while I couldn’t have realized it at that young age, it was a pivotal moment in my life. That encounter launched me into a relationship with horses that continues to this day.
When I learned to read, I practically memorized every horse book I could find. Just before my 12th birthday, while living in the southern African country of Botswana, where my father, a career diplomat, had moved our family, I received my first horse.
During our stay in Botswana, my parents met some Anglican missionaries who introduced them to Jesus. My family attended church regularly, and would have called themselves Christians, but had not understood the intimacy of a personal connection with God. My parents dearly wanted me to receive the Lord as well, but my heart was full. I had a horse. What else could I need?
And then my beloved Black Jack became very sick. He was diagnosed with a fatal disease called African Horse Sickness. There was no medicine, no cure, no treatment. Nothing available to save him. Now I had a need.
My mom suggested a prayer meeting. Desperate and without other options, I agreed.
Soon after, 12 adults gathered around me in our home and prayed for Black Jack and for me. The next morning, I raced to the barn to find my horse healthy and eating hay.
The veterinarian had no explanation. He shook his head and muttered to himself.
But I knew in that moment, at age 12, that God is real, and powerful and good. I am convinced that He gave me Black Jack so I could understand the difference between a generic love for horses and a personal connection with someone who is beloved, because Black Jack belonged to me and I loved him – just as we belong to God and He passionately loves us.
My love for horses continued to grow, and in 1992 I started incorporating them into a discipleship program for youth. Horses have helped me understand and share what it means to belong to Someone. Today, I share my stories about my love for this magnificent animal to help others understand God’s love for humanity and for them, personally.
Katy Pistole is an award-winning author of seven books. 
Her newest release, Jubilee, TheLove Story, won the Genesis Contest in 2011 and is now in the running for the 2019 Author Academy Awards.Katy loves to share her love for horses as a contemporary Shepherd/sheep metaphor by weaving analogies through her stories. Katy’s unique perspective on brokenness has helped her lead thousands of God’s children into a deeper understanding of the Abundant Life and the heart of The Shepherd. Katy is an ordained minister, Bible teacher, crisis counselor, and the Executive Director of Beautiful Brokenness Ministries, a horse-themed discipleship and teaching ministry located in Central Virginia. You can find Katy on the Internet at www.KatyPistole.com and www.BeautifulBrokenness.org
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