Thank You, Harrison! by Tami Cinquemani

This morning I woke up in a charming apartment in Savannah, Georgia. My husband, Jeff, and I met our daughter, Brittany, and son-in-law, Josh, for a little mini-vacation. As our kids were preparing for the day’s adventures and I was doing a quick check of my e-mail, Jeff took a book and went outside to read. The apartment we rented is on Crawford Square, one of the lovely community squares common in Historical Savannah, and Jeff chose a shaded bench to enjoy the cool morning.

As Jeff sat reading, he heard a distressed cry in the distance. The cries came closer, and soon he saw a young woman coming around the corner trying desperately to stop the horse that was pulling her carriage. Jeff said the poor woman was screaming, “Stop, Harrison! You have to stop!” but Harrison the horse seemed completely oblivious to her pleading and trotted along on his merry way.

Now you have to understand something about my husband. He grew up in the country and knows how to handle a horse. Needless to say, his cowboy instincts kicked in, and realizing the direction Harrison was taking the carriage, he ran into the street, grabbed the horse by the bridle, and using all his strength on this massive animal, was able to turn his head to the side until he came to a complete stop.

After taking a quick look at the horse, Jeff realized that, when hooking up his harness that morning, someone had failed to attach the horse’s reins to his bit. Harrison was simply following the route he was used to, oblivious to the fact that he was in any kind of danger by careening through the intersections on his way. He was having a good time, picking up speed, and since he never felt the familiar pull on his bit, he thought he was in good shape.

Needless to say, I was pretty impressed with my husband – as were Brittany and Josh. Had it been any of the three of us, the poor woman would have continued her wild ride through the streets of Savannah. This experience made me consider several things in my own life.

First of all, I’m very thankful that God has blessed each one of us with unique talents, and I hope I am as attentive and aware as Jeff was when the opportunity to use these gifts is presented.

Secondly, the woman whose rescue my husband came to was overwhelmingly relieved. However, as grateful as she was, she had nothing to offer my husband but a handshake of gratitude, and Jeff wouldn’t have accepted anything anyway. I have a Savior who has stepped in and saved me from certain destruction. He did this because he loves me, knowing I have nothing to offer in return.

Finally, the one in this story I most closely relate to is Harrison. There are so many times that I neglect getting properly “hooked up” to the One I count on to guide me. I careen through my life, oblivious to the very real dangers that I am unprepared to face alone. I am so thankful for those people and situations God puts in my path to help me realize how desperately I need that connection. Today my reminder came through a runaway horse . . . thank you, Harrison!

Tami Cinquemani