Lynn Baber - He Came Looking For Me: A True Story Of Hope And Redemption

He Came Looking

For Me

A Horses True Story

Of Hope And Redemption

Lynn Baber

Copyright 2018 LynnBaber

Published by Ark Press throughSmashwords

This ebook is licensed foryour personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold orgiven away to other people. If you would like to share this bookwith another person, please purchase an additional copy for eachrecipient. If youre reading this book and did not purchase it, orit was not purchased for your use only, then please return toSmashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your owncopy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of thisauthor.

He Came Looking for Me

Copyright 2018 by Lynn M. Baber.All rights reserved.

Prior editions 2011,2013.

All New Testament scripturequotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version .Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. Allrights reserved.

ISBN# 978-1-938836-12-1

Photographs of Lynn and Shiner arethe property of Lynn Baber, compliments of Brianna DunnPhotography.

The people who sat in darkness have seen agreat light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow ofdeath, Light has dawned.

Matthew 5:16

My troubles are all over, and I am at home; and often beforeI am quite awake, I fancy I am still in the orchard at Birtwick,standing with my friends under the apple trees .

Anna Sewell, Black Beauty

He Came Looking forMe is abook like none other Ive read. The authors unique writing styleis both captivating andrefreshing. Baber masterfully parallels theexperience of seeking and restoring foals once sold to the heart ofGod that comes looking for those needing hope andredemption. I read it a secondtime in one sitting and found myself reading parts out loud tofriends. You will find inspiration in thepages of this easy to read, but hard to put down book.

- David M.

GOSPEL HORSESERIES

Book One

Amazing Grays, Amazing Grace

Lessons in Leadership, Relationship, and thePower of Faith Inspired by the Love of God and Horse

Book Two

He Came Looking for Me

A Horses True Story of Hope andRedemption

Book Three

Discipleship with Horses

Practical Guide to Using Obstacles,Exercises, and

Simple Cues to Get the Results You Want

With profound gratitude we thank those whomade it possible to share this message with you. The hand of Godcombines events that may appear coincidental to some, but not tothose who are blessed to witness His handiwork.

There are very special people with whom weenjoy herdship. God graced us all, one with the other. Where one isweak another is sure to be strong.

May each of you be blessed on your ownjourney home.

Lynn and Shiner

Table of Contents

Commitment

Family Resemblance

Undaunted

Faith -Hope - Love

Aces Tantrums

Turning Up Aces Flame

Herd ship

Leadership

Temptation

Never Too Late

Priceless

Focus on Today

Together Again

Redeemed

New Year, New Life

Epilogue: The One

What about this one, Daddy? asked thepony-tailed, freckle-faced ten-year-old girl.

He wont work for you, honey, her fatherreplied. His eyes looked me over from my sunburned nose to my poorshort tail, noticing my thin sunken back, stopping his shortevaluation at my dry split hooves.

Shaking his head in pity, the fathercontinued, Poor thing, he is a sad little man, isnt he? He has akind eye and may have been a good horse at one time, but you need ahorse that is strong and healthy.

The little girl reached her small handthrough the rails of the fence I was tied to and touched my face.For just a moment I touched her back. Knowing her father was right,she pulled her hand back through the fence and said to me, I hopeyou find a nice home. He said nothing, but the father knew thatprobably wouldnt happen.

Our brief encounter already forgotten, thepair moved down the aisle of the auction barn away from me.

The yellow number on my thin, white hips is83, described in the sale flyer as a nine-year-old Appaloosagelding. That is all. There is no mention of my name or that I wasbred to be a champion.

At least there is shade here. The peoplebrought me here early this morning and tied me to the fence. Ihavent seen them since.

A few people walked past me today, but notmany. The only one who touched me was a little girl with aponytail.

~ ~ ~

Bidder number two sat four rows up from thesale ring in-gate. He walked the auction pens earlier, circling thehip numbers of the horses he intended to pick up and ship to Mexicofor slaughter.

Number 83 on his paper was circled inred.

A man with a worn cap pulled low over hisbrow sat on the wooden seat directly behind Bidder number two. Hereached into his threadbare pocket for a bit of folded paper.

His eyes fell on one of the faded,hand-written entries on a list. Each mark as familiar as his ownname. Knowing precisely where to look, the mans gaze settled onthe name, Signed by Sky.

Anna Sewells beloved novel, BlackBeauty, is the classic story told by a horse of a life rangingfrom love and service to despair and hopelessness. Manysimilarities exist between this story and Beautys. The maindifference is that this one is true.

Within four short days in late summer 2009,my husband and I learned the absolute truth of Christs promisethat we are never alone. We were sent to find the last two foalsfrom our Appaloosa breeding program. The events of those few daysunfolded in ways only God can arrange.

The two colts were sold as the centuriesadvanced from the twentieth to the twenty-first. It seemed somehowfitting to begin a new program as the old millennium gave way tothe new. After moving to Texas our Appaloosa program ended and webegan to exclusively breed Quarter Horses.

Our search began nearly nine years after theboys were sold. We didnt look for just any Appaloosa or one of themany foals from our program. The search was for two specific foals,by name. We needed to find Skys last two sons, Adios Cielo(Ace) and Signed By Sky (Shiner,) and bring them home.

Shiner may have lived out the scenarioestablished in the prologue if we hadnt appeared out of thesweltering heat that day in Roanoke. Based on his condition andlack of utility, where else would he have gone but to a killerbuyer? But Shiners name was on the Redeemers list and the trucksheading to the Mexican slaughterhouses had to leave withouthim.

Shiner and Ace, 2000

He Came Looking for Me is the story ofhow Shiner and Ace returned home. We went looking for them andfound them, although help didnt arrive until the moment it wasneeded. The two brothers were in desperate need and we showed upjust in time. The hand of God is present throughout this story.

Horses have been my passion since I was fouryears old. God has richly blessed me by using my horses asteachers. After more than two decades as a successful equineprofessional I retired from the horse business.

No more training or trophies. No more judgingor showing. No more lessons or stallions. No more foals.

Before long life changed once again. Horsescontinue to play a pivotal role in both my family and my work. Thebook,