Jacksonville, TX 2011: Day 7

Sun—bright, unmistakable—sun peeked through the curtains the morning of our much-anticipated recreational day and our last partnering with the Father’s Love team. After a couple of overcast and unseasonably cool days, we felt blessed that gorgeous weather was cooperating with what promised to be a wonderful time ahead at the Rockin C Ranch.  After sleeping in a bit—we met in the lobby for our devotional and prayer at 9:30 AM, then headed out for breakfast.  Roger and Isabelle came to meet us and we were excited to be on our way.

Driving onto the property it looked like a regular working ranch.  We saw turkey, sheep, and heard about the longhorn, so named for the length of the horns, known as “racks.”  We got our first flash of our host’s humor when we learned  the names of the steer with the longest racks—Shadrach and Meschach (get it?). They haven’t yet found their Abednego. They took us through our paces with quizzes about chicken—how many eggs will a chicken lay in a year? how long does it take for an egg to hatch? and yes, why does the chicken cross the road?

A Christian camp, the owners love partnering with Father’s Love to provide scholarships for children to attend for the week.   Several kids had confided  in us that they’d never left Jacksonville, not even been up the road to Tyler, so I could only imagine how exciting it must be for them to attend sleep-away camp. Of course the kids have a wonderful time on the low ropes, high ropes, canoeing, riding horses, etc.  But they also assume all the tasks associated with running an actual ranch.  In the process they learn to get up early, work hard, and be disciplined and responsible.  With scholarships, the Father’s Love kids get to attend for just $50 rather than the normal $550 per week. But even at that nominal amount, Father’s Love frequently winds up assuming the cost for kids who want to attend.

Our guides wasted no time in giving us city slickers an opportunity to prove our metal with the High Ropes Challenge.  Tanicqua, who’d met us at the ranch, was first up. Dude! Gotta say, she represented.  She scampered up the tree, lightly supported her body with overhead wires as she walked a tight rope and performed other feats (all with a harness, of course) that would have put you in mind of Jane as in “Me, Tarzan.” Exhilarated, going down the zip-line she stopped just short of a back flip.   We all followed, granted, with a bit less flair—some electing to complete the entire course, others opting for the zip-line only. Not only was it great fun, but also was a wonderful exercise in conquering the fear of heights (more accurately, fear of falling) for some of us.

With a bit of swagger, we were ready to move on to the next challenge—horseback riding.  I say “challenge” because this was something new to virtually the entire BrickThink Team.  The training we received was without much ado.  “You put your foot in the stirrup, and swing your leg over to get on the horse; you pull the reigns to the right when you want to go right, and toward your belly when you want the horse to stop. Don’t let tree limbs hit you in the face.”  There were a few more instructions of that ilk on horse-riding basics. Before we knew it, we’d been matched with a horse that was temperamentally suited to each of us and we were on our way.  From this vantage point we got to appreciate the beauty—the hills, lakes—tall trees, and sheer expanse—of the property.  We rode for an hour, convinced that no seasoned cowhand had anything much on us. We conveniently forgot, of course, that the horses had been specifically trained to give us a gentle, uneventful ride.

Sho ‘nuff, and as the Rockin C Ranch staff promised, we’d worked up an appetite. With mouth-watering aromas wafting through the air we knew that they’d fired up the barbeque.   We had burgers (fresh from the ranch) hotdogs and baked beans. To say that they were a cut above anything we’d had back home is an understatement!

As the day turned to evening we reflected on our week in Jacksonville, Texas.  Roger reminded us of his promise that by the final day we would each know what God had in mind for us—the work He was performing in our hearts and spirits—in choosing us for the trip.  As we listened to each person share, it was like watching, and hearing the puzzle pieces click into place. We could see, perhaps not everything God had in mind, but a clear glimpse into the good work He’d performed in each of us. It’s not everyday that you get to see His hand in your life so clearly and to know the lengths He’ll go and the details He’ll orchestrate to help us grow in His ways and His love.