Fall 2015
“Here kitty kitty! Ninja where are you? Heeere Ninjaaa!” Every week, this calling fills the ranch yard, and we know that Brooke has arrived. With her bright blonde hair, horse t-shirt and purple glasses with butterflies on the side, she is full of the energy of a 5-year-old. The animals at Timber Ridge are Brooke’s “best friends” from the kitties and horses right down to the chickens, all are very special to her.
For the next 90 minutes, the ranch swirls with the energy of a determined 5-year-old. Here at Timber Ridge Ranch, Brooke is encouraged to just be a kid. She eagerly does her chore at the with gusto, wielding a pitchfork and scrubbing buckets with so much zeal it sometimes means that the manure goes past the bucket, or we both end up wet and giggling because the hose got a little out of control. When it comes to the horses, Brooke has quickly became a “professional.” She usually chooses to work with Clyde, the larger of our two draft horses. After a few weeks, we are leading him down the gravel path to the barn and she informs me, “You can let go now,” meaning she felt she could lead the 2,000 pound horse to the barn by herself. So I step back a bit, still being close enough if she does wind up needing me, and as I do, Clyde lowers his large head right down by her bright blonde hair and clops after her like a puppy to the barn.
It amazes me how the brokenness and hardship that often causes her to demand a lot of attention in other circumstances disappears as she works with the horses. She reaches down while grooming Clyde’s feathers (the long hairs just above his hooves) says, “Don’t move, Clyde, I’m just going to brush right here, don’t move, ok?” and he sighs, lowers his head and closes his eyes without moving a muscle while she works. “I love Clyde and Herman,” can be heard often throughout our session and I know she feels the love the animals have for her too. Brooke’s grandmother is a solid believer in Jesus, who is doing her best to lead this young girl to faith, and Brooke is eagerly learning of who God is. During the reflection part of our sessions, we read through Bible stories. Sitting on a blanket in the shade of a tree we start with Genesis and work our way to the birth of Jesus. She soaks it in, and each week, I can tell that in her smart mind, the pieces are coming together. She enjoys the illustrations of the Children’s Bible Storybook and often likes to point out who “we” are in the stories. The one day we are reading about when Jesus invites the little children to come to Him and I tell her that Jesus really loves kids. She looks up from leaning on my lap and with her brown eyes full of curiosity blurts out, “What about me?!” It was in this moment that I realized for the first time, the concept of who God is, has moved from being characters in a storybook and letters on a page, to something real in her heart. I smile at her and assure her that she is very special and that Jesus loves her so much.
It’s just a small seed, and to some it may seem insignificant but it means a lot here at Timber Ridge Ranch. It means that to one person the world seemed a little brighter, to one hurt a little love was applied, to confusion there was understanding, and to insecurity there was hope. We rejoice over little moments like these, when God gives us the opportunity to love, when He sends someone our way that needs reassuring of their importance in life. Beyond what we do for a living, what kind of assets we have or don’t have, who people say we are, and what we may have as baggage, we are all living breathing humans. Our horses are proof that dark times in our lives don’t mean the end and aren’t permanent. They are living breathing hope that love matters. In the same way that Brooke needed to understand that Jesus loved EVEN her, I need to remember to come to Him with the simplicity, innocence and honesty of a child, believing that no matter the circumstance, He is love.
“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16
Ranch News
It has been an incredibly busy and meaningful Summer at Timber Ridge Ranch! Along with our regular weekly sessions we had a “Girl’s Day” with equine and other life skill activities, and many family visits to the ranch. We are grateful for everyone who has volunteered their time over the Summer and welcome new volunteers as we continue into Fall! We have a few big projects starting now that will need to be finished before Winter. These include planting perennials in gardens, fencing in the LARGE back pasture, building shelters in the pastures for the horses, and getting more hay stored to last through the Winter. We are excited as the weather gets cooler and the leaves at the Ranch change into fiery shades of red, orange and gold, that God has a plan for Timber Ridge Ranch this Fall. There are more moments to be shared, friendships to be forged and meaningful experiences to be had. Thank you for your interest and support to the Ranch, thank you for being a part of the events that happen here.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop
Prayer Requests
Our sessions, as we interact with the children and their care-givers that they would feel loved
Guidance in the development of the ranch, we look forward to expanding our program and looking into various ways we can connect with the community
That He would continue to send people to us
Volunteer Opportunities
We have many different opportunities for anyone who has a willing heart to invest in the Ranch. Whether you’re good with kids or adults, horses or mechanical things, we’ve got opportunities to help here. Let us know if you’ve got a free weekend to help with a proj-ect or two, or you just want to spend an hour once in a while unloading a hay wagon, grooming a horse, or picking up poop! There’s always stuff to do here!
Donate
Donations to support our ministry can be submitted on our website or sent to:
Timber Ridge Ranch, 2691 Route 174, Marietta, NY 13110.
We are a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.