Transforming Love for a Rebel

Truth is, he was a worthless pony.

Truth is, love gave value to his life.

An untrained stallion, the pulling pony bullied larger horses, kicked and bit unwary humans and rejected all authority. In the eyes of my pre-teen daughter, he was a dream filled withpossibility. His rebel heart drew out her desire to love—and be loved even in her own rebellions. Her desires are the same desires every heart has—to love and be loved despite ourselves.

Named Dakota by his owners, she saw much more. Under his untamed forelock lay a blaze shaped like a question mark. She re-named him “Moonlight Mystery.” Her love for him reveals some of the great mysteries of love.

Loving his potential, she poured her heart and her time into him. She gained his trust in tiny increments. The rebel in him could not resist the time and attention she lavished upon him. The love of God is like that too. As we allow Him to touch us with His love, we cannot resist its transforming power. The love of God draws us toward the potential He intends for us to fulfill.

It would make a sweeter story to tell you that this young girl’s love transformed the rebel pony into a productive, prancing cart puller. Sadly, her love was not empowered by ownership. Disgusted with the pony, the owner sent him away. She never stopped loving Moonlight Mystery—and his life has meaning because of that.

Her love allowed him to teach valuable life lessons on rebellion, love and purpose. Love is like that—it takes a muddy mess and transforms it with purpose into its potential. The love of God not only offers us the chance to fulfill our potential, it includes an offer of adoption into His family. Jesus paid the price to redeem us from the rule of sin—and transport us into His Kingdom as His children.

Love fulfills potential and purpose.

If earthly love does not fail, how can we resist eternal love? Refusing our rebellion, submitting to His sacrificial love, brings purpose to our lives. Jesus believed we were worth dying for…do we believe He is worth living for?

Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.
The Message: Ephesians 1:4)

Sweet Post-script to this story:  We learned that “Moonlight Mystery” has since found an owner who loves him and is doing well!  Those seeds of love have been harvested!  Hallelujah!