November 17 is my 47th birthday, which has caused me to be quite reflective.
As I sit here thinking about the remaining items on my “bucket list” and the things I still wish to accomplish for God, my mind drifts back to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo that we attended as a family back in 1998.
Trying to fit in with our new Texas home, it seemed only appropriate to take the fam to a Friday night rodeo in Cowtown. We sat very close to the action, close enough to have dirt occasionally flung in our direction. It was all very exciting! And then, the announcer called for all of the children under the age of 12 to come down and join him in the center of the arena. My youngest daughter, Allyson, who was 4 at the time, ran past me and shot down the stairs, headed for the main arena. Abby, who was 5, decided she’d rather watch the action from atop her Daddy’s lap.
Feeling nervous and protective, I was concerned about Ally being down there with all the big kids. She was by far the littlest one, and I was worried—especially when I heard the announcer explain what would happen next. The kids were supposed to chase after and grab a ribbon tied to the tail of a goat. The one who successfully obtained the ribbon would win a Fort Worth Rodeo T-Shirt, a souvenir picture with the winning rodeo star that night and a stuffed animal.
Before I could even process all of it, the announcer released the goat and off the children went—running, skipping, screaming, diving, giggling and falling. I watched Ally race after the goat, her long blonde curls bouncing up and down, as we all cheered for her: “Go Ally! You can do it!”
She kept on, pursuing that goat’s ribbon with great passion until her little legs got tangled up in the crowd, and she went down—face first. Our entire row gasped, afraid she was hurt, but she got right back up and took off after the galloping goat. Moments later, one of the older boys managed to snag the red ribbon, and the crowd stood to its feet to celebrate the boy’s victory. I not only cheered for him but also for my little 4 year old who had been brave and unrelenting in her quest for the goat’s ribbon. When she made it back to our seats, she was covered in dirt from head to toe.
Completely unscathed from face-planting in front of hundreds of people just minutes before, she looked up at me with a big grin and asked, “Can I do that again?”
I brushed the dirt from her blonde bangs and kissed her on the forehead, so proud of her go-getter attitude and her ability to find joy in every situation.
So, on my 47th birthday, that’s my wish—that I would go after every God-given dream and assignment with the same tenacity that Ally chased after that silly goat and that I would find joy in the journey.
I wish the same for you today.
