Opening The Gate: A Short Story This Spring

I buckle on Dolly’s halter and lead her to the paddock gate. Cutter follows calmly behind, while Reina prances in circles around us. Their anticipation for the daily turnout is palpable. I swing open the gate. Cutter trots for a few yards and stops. Reina bursts forward and lopes across the small pasture before lying down to roll. She stands up with a polka dot mud pattern all over her side. Dolly wants to follow them, but obediently waits beside me as I climb the gate and use that to climb on her back. She does her happy fast walk as we zig-zag across the pasture, doing our best to avoid the worst of the mud. As we get to the other side, Dolly realizes where I’m going, and her speed picks up. Cutter joins us. Reina kicks up her heels in excitement and races over as I slip the halter off of Dolly. The horses are practically dancing as I unchained the next gate. Beyond the pipe gate, it's what we call the runway: a ten-foot wide and 300-foot long aisle way that leads to our back pasture. It’s not hard to understand their excitement. They haven’t been in this pasture since last Autumn. And with the limited turnout they’ve had, they are thrilled at the idea of a new pasture, of new grass. 

The gate swings open. And the horses don’t hesitate. Before the gate’s hinges have stopped moving, they take off. Like racehorses out the starting gate, Dolly, Cutter, and Reina jump into a full gallop. Dirt flies, and the sound of pounding hooves fills the air as they fly down the runway. They make the turn at the end and disappear down the hill of the pasture. I run after them, wanting to see them enjoying their turnout and to check the fences one last time. I reach the end of the runway.

“Are y’all excited?” I call out to them where they have stopped to graze on the top of the hill. 

Dolly tosses her head, and as though in answer to my question, she begins to lope down the hill. Cutter joins her and Reina, who just then realized they were moving, bolts after them. Together the three of them lope the pasture, making a wide curving turn at the bottom and slowing to a stop at the very center of the pasture.

They all turn to look at me before turning their attention to the grass at their feet.

Seeing them happily munching, feeling their contagious excitement, I smile. I make my way down there to join them. I watch them and rub their shoulders as they graze. Before heading back up the hill, I snapped a few quick pictures on my phone. This never gets old to me: getting to see their joy, their confidence, their freedom. Joy that winter has passed and that the green grass of Spring has come. Confidence in knowing that when I open a gate, good things await on the other side. And freedom of throwing all doubts and hesitations away, and just running through that open gate with all their hearts.

Having just celebrated the wonderful day of Easter, I can’t help but see the comparisons to what the Lord Jesus does for us. Through His sacrifice, the gloom of the winters of life has passed! We can now live the fullness of joy because, if we are born-again believers, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because of Christ’s resurrection, we can go forward in confidence: we are redeemed and we know that blessings await us as we follow Him, in this life and in the next. (Jeremiah 29:11). And freedom because we, too, can throw away all of our doubts and insecurities. We have His promise that we are no longer slaves to sin and death - we have been set free (John 8:36)! There is no greater mystery; there is no greater gift; God as man, paying the price for our sin, and restoring us to a righteousness we could never earn. 

God has already opened the gate for you. Have you run through it to Him?