Guest Post: Adaptability by Lynne Echols

Today's guest post comes to us from Lynne Echols, a woman I met recently through an on-line book discussion series. I was so moved by one of her posts, that I knew I had to share her story with you. Lynne describes herself as a widowed mid-life Episcopalian who re-married at age 63, owned horses for 35 years, has worked as a high school French and German teacher, a journalist, a secretary, a technology transfer consultant and a riding teacher. She loves to sing sacred music, travels abroad with her BFF of 52 years' standing, and rejoices in each new day. She aspires to the ordained ministry in the office of permanent deacon, but God may have other plans. That is okay with her, because God always has a better idea of what she should be doing with her life than she does herself.
 

Lynne with her BFF on a trip to Vienna

Change is the only constant in our lives, apart from Christ, and He changes US from within, through the Holy Spirit. My experience of this came in the 18 months following the death of my husband of 30 years from pancreatic cancer in November 2008. He was a wonderful man in so many ways, but he carried a lot of well-hidden, life-long anger that even I had been unaware of until the last weeks of his life when he grew too weak to disguise it any longer. After his death I became very interested in the mind-body connection, since both anger and cancer "eat you up from the inside."

I journaled about this and found myself led to the healing ministries. I also found myself very conflicted because I didn't know where in my very busy life I would find time to investigate, let alone practice, this ministry. So I prayed that the Lord would help me find that time.

Rufus and Lynne

Back then I was a life-long horsewoman, even making it my vocation after I retired from "real" work. I spent at least 2 hours a day at the barn riding and taking care of my own horse, on top of the time I spent teaching riding and participating in an on-line community (like this one!) of over 20,000 members, discussing various matters to do with horses, riding difficulties, etc. The horse I owned was one I'd been seeking for years and had finally found a year after Bill died. He had a lot of advanced training but steady, reliable, forgiving -- a perfect lesson horse as well. Nirvana!

Then gradually I found myself less and less motivated to go to the barn. Eventually it reached the point where I had to force myself... and then I only went to check up on Kionus (the horse) but not to actually ride. I'd already advised my students that I was taking, what I thought would be, a brief hiatus from teaching. Ultimately, through a reading in the quiet time guide I was using, I was asked the questions, How do you spend the bulk of your discretionary income? -- answer: on horses -- and How much pleasure or utility do you derive from spending those dollars that way? and had to examine my soul.

The obvious answer was, None. So... from there it was a clear choice to divest myself of my horse, and gain two hours a day! So I did, and it was relatively painless (I even sold the horse for exactly what I'd paid for him, to a buyer who was able to give him an excellent home, and within the year he was donated by the purchaser to the college riding center I'd have given him to myself if I hadn't needed the money!). Somehow I'd been transformed, from the inside out, from someone who could have sworn she'd die by falling off a horse at an advanced aged and breaking her neck, to someone who now has only a small interest in horses (whom I still think are God's best work). The Holy Spirit had transformed me into a healing minister, and have even found the best possible home for a wonderful horse whom I loved.

Since then I've organized three levels of the School of Healing Prayer and have begun laying hands on parishioners who ask for this kind of ministry. No, the blind have not seen nor the lame walked, but there have been several instances of healed traumatic memories and minor ailments (headaches, upset stomachs, sore joints). I'm an imperfect instrument of Christ's healing power, praying and working on become a better one.