Horse Thieves, Covered Wagons & Being Prepared
My Sis and I started laughing. We had been sharing stories of family and remarked how funny we all are. My mother-in-law used to have a saying “that everyone is a bit odd, except for me and thee…and even thee is a bit odd.”
It takes a lot of pressure off to know we’re all a bit odd.
For the Keith household, the holidays are a time when we gather with family to play games, open gifts, and tell stories over hot tea or cocoa. Lance and I celebrate with family in Dallas and then drive up to Kansas City to spend time with extended family. Since we are the ones who moved to attend seminary years ago, it has become incumbent upon us to make the annual trip…rain, sleet or snow.
We’ll save stories of sleet and snow for another time. But for now, just thinking about it makes me feel like…like a pioneer. And for those who know me, you know how I admire the Pilgrims and pioneers!
No Starbucks to whet your whistle on the road. No gas stations to fill up with gas or get needed supplies. Forgetting a seemingly minor thing can be the difference between life and death. And most importantly, NO air conditioning, heated seats or window wipers to keep the bugs out of our teeth. Ha!!
I remember reading a story from “Little House on the Prairie” about the Ingalls family as they traveled by wagon encountering a family that was ill-prepared for the trip. There appeared to be a white dot in the distance. As they got closer, they came across a family and their wagon stuck in the middle of the wilderness.
They had no horses.
The Indians crept into their camp in the middle of the night and stole their horses. Experienced pioneers know that bringing a dog is essential for a wagon trip. A dog can alert the family when thieves creep into a camp or when wild animals are nearby.
Pa offered to take them to the nearest town, but they refused to leave their wagon. They did not want to leave their stuff. No matter how much Pa urged, they refused to go.
As Pa drove away, he turned to his children and said, “They were unprepared. They did not plan wisely for their trip. Sooner or later, they will run out of supplies or…” and his voice drifted off as he took the reins in his hands and drove the horses onward.
In a sense we are all on a journey, are we not?
Are we prepared? Do we take the time to learn from more experienced travelers? Are we aware of the dangers? Do we plan accordingly? Have we rightly prioritized necessary supplies? Have we packed our “suitcases” wisely and are we willing to leave our stuff behind if it hinders our journey??
My verse for this month and maybe the year is Psalm 50:23. Believe me, I didn’t plan it this way. A couple of days ago, I opened to read the Psalms and this verse literally jumped off the page.
And I am sharing it with you.
“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of the LORD.”
As we continue our journey into 2026 this verse gives two ways that we can please God and be better prepared for the coming year.
- Be aware of God’s presence daily. Recognize His works and give Him thanks.
- Order your life rightly!! Don’t live haphazardly. Is there chaos in your life? Bring it to order and God promises to show us the riches and depth of His salvation!!
For me, I began with something simple.
I organized my sock drawer and am now tackling meal planning. I’ll let you know how that goes. Ha!! How about you?? Let’s covenant together to give God thanks this year and order our lives rightly. Whether it is sock drawers, meal planning, finances or cleaning out the fridge. We are not only what we think, but what we do.
Happy trails!!!