Parents, are you being a mean Joe? My sister wanted a pony, so she convinced my parents to get one (because she was the favorite). We had a small mini-farm of 7 acres on the Little River near Knoxville … it was enough room for a pony to run around. My sis diligently looked at the ads in the paper and, lo and behold, one day she saw an ad that said: “Saddle $25, pony is free.” That should have been a little clue about this pony. So, Dad went to pick up this Shetland pony and found out his name was Joe. We finally came to the big day, the first day to ride Joe. Shetlands are typically gentle and have a good disposition but they can also be very stubborn and headstrong. Joe gladly received the bridle and saddle. So, my dad put my sister on Joe and gave her some instructions: pull the left rein to go left, pull the right rein to go right, and pull both to stop and say "whoa!" She sat on the pony, but Joe refused to move. She said, “Giddyup, Joe!” and flipped the reins a little… Suddenly, Joe thought he was Secretariat looking for another Triple Crown. He took off out of the shoot like a bullet and He was headed straight down a steep hill toward the river… My sister’s eyes were wide as saucers, she was bouncing all over that saddle and screaming “whoa Joe!” while pulling on the reins as hard as her little arms could pull and trying to grab the saddle horn to stay on. My dad was chasing her and Joe as fast as he could run, yelling “whoa, stop Joe” and maybe a few other words. My mother and I stood at the fence and watched with mouths agape, then we too started shouting “Whoa Joe!” Joe had a different idea than stopping… my sister went flying off and rolled to a stop next to a rock. She was not severely hurt, but very scared. So, that was the end of riding Joe. We sold the saddle and bridle, but the next buyer was a little more savvy and refused to take the pony. Over the next several months I would sneak away from my chores in the garden and bring Joe a little treat and call him over to the fence and talk to him. After a while Joe let me pet him. A little while longer and he let me put my arm around him. Then, call me crazy, but I wanted to try to ride him. The saddle and bridle were gone, so I put my cub scout skills to use and tied some bailing twine together and Joe let me put it over his head. There was no bit for his mouth, it was just makeshift bridle. Then as I talked to Joe, he let me climb on his back and ride him. He responded to my gentle pulls right and left on reins and stopped when I said, “whoa.” Eventually, we had to get rid of old Joe, but that experience taught me some things. Regardless of how mean and ornery Joe may have been, gentle words, gentle hugs, and little treats reminded him that he belonged to a breed that was strong, but gentle with a good disposition. Screaming and yelling at Joe, didn’t seem to make him want to stop being mean. Joe remembered who he was and began to act like himself when approached with the right attitude.
We believers sometimes need a gentle reminder of who we are too. We belong to God who is loving, compassionate and gentle. He tells Moses who He is and how He acts. He says …”the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth,”Exodus 34:6 (CSBBible) and James, the half brother of Jesus, reminds God’s people that since they belong to Him they need to act right... like God does. James says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 (ESV) Just like Joe needed to be reminded that he was a gentle Shetland pony when he wasn’t always acting like it, we sometimes need to let God’s Word remind us of who we are when we aren’t acting like God’s children should act. The New Testament is filled with scripture that reminds us what we are to act like since we are one of His and belong to Him. Do you know a Joe or Jo, who needs some gentle words and some love to remind them of who he/she really is and how his/her “breed” acts… a believer who may have forgotten who they are, Who they belong to, and how it is like them to act. When they are acting like a “mean Joe” they aren't acting like themselves. Like Joe, most people don’t respond well to our screaming and yelling at them to change. Approach them gently, value them, honor who they really are and who knows, they may start acting like their true selves.
Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for you all!
(not the real Joe and not my photo)
