The Pecking Order

     Horses are very social creatures. They form friendships, they grieve loved ones, and they communicate with one another. Most of the communication includes non-verbal cues to establish and maintain the social order.  Every horse in the herd has a place in the pecking order and reaffirms that position throughout the day. The pecking order is relatively constant from day to day as long as new horses do not enter or leave the herd.
   To maintain their rank, a dominant horse will
ask each subordinant horse to move it's feet several times a day. It might be a demand to leave the watering hole and let me drink or thank you for pointing out that blade of grass let me eat it now. If the subordinant horse does not move immediately, more assertive language such as pinning the ears back will follow. The line from please move to a kick in the rear can accelerate quickly. The phases include pinning the ears back to a bite on the rear to a full out turn the rear and kick the snot out of you.
   To the uneducated observer the dominant horse may appear to be mean and cruel. Turning to kick a horse who doesn't move away from the water tank quick enough or a bite on the neck because a non-leading horse took a treat from a little girl at the fence, seems like the behavior of a big selfish, equine bully. However, horses rely on the pecking order to survive. They find peace in knowing and accepting their place in the herd pecking order. It is important for a herd's social order to have clear structure and proven leadership. When you are a prey animal, there are predators lurking around every corner waiting to eat you. Subordinate horses rely on their leaders to keep them safe, to alert them to any threats, and establish order in their society. Everyday, they are reassured they are living in a world of great leadership by their leaders setting the boundaries. These constant visual cues remind them who to follow when things get scarey.
   The beauty of God's word is the boundaries he set for our peaceful living. Boundaries keep us safe by showing us where danger begins. Just as a horse nips at his pasture mate to ensure him he has a leader, God provides us with continual reminders of who he is. If we are paying attention, we can follow him and keep ourselves out of harm's way. We know who to follow not only when things get scarey but every day on a path to abundant living. 
   As a herd of horses is free, grazing on an open pasture, so we were called to be free. However, in any fellowship or social order there are rules to keep it orderly and protect the members from outside predators. We always have the choice to live outside the social order but it's not as safe and does not offer the protection of the herd and it's leaders.
   The other day I had moved a herd of nine horses onto a new pasture. I counted as each horse walked through the gate from the old pasture to the new one. I only counted eight horses. I called but the nineth horse, a grey gelding was no where to be seen. I closed the gate between the two pastures, grabbed a halter, and headed out to find the missing horse. As I started my trek down the path that lead to the old pasture, I heard a frantic call from the old gelding. He was calling out to the herd, galloping across the field, and franticly running in circles looking for the rest of herd. In his world, out alone in the open, he was vulnerable to being picked off by a pack of predators. I imagine it was very frightening for him to look up from his carefree grazing and realize that the herd was no where to be found.
   God doesn't expect us to be out wondering on our own. But if we choose to live under his protection then we have to learn and accept the boundaries he has given us for our own protection and good. As the old gelding approached me, I heard one of the leaders from the new pasture call out to him. He came galloping past me and was waiting at the gate when I got back up to the top of the path. Eager for me to open the gate and let him reunite with his herd, he paced the fence that seperated him from his herd mates. I imagine it will be awhile before he wanders off from the herd again. Most of us would choose freedom in the safety of God's loving protective boundaries over freedom in fear of the unknown outside of them.