Trail Tract #6 - Faithful Servant by Elwin Wines
Fritz is a strawberry roan Belgian draft gelding, a gentle giant standing an even 17 hands and weighing close to a ton. Now retired after over a dozen years in a logging harness, he has truly earned his senior citizen status being fed, pampered, and occasionally ridden by children.
Logging with horses sounds exotic, exciting, and earthy, but those of us who do it know full well that it is a dangerous job. The teamster walks on the litter strewn ground beside the turn of logs, or even standing on the moving logs themselves, and is vulnerable to a variety of life-threatening possibilities. It is no understatement to say that the teamsters very life depends on the skill and immediate obedience of his horses. "Whoa" means stop right now."Gee" and "Haw" mean right and left right now. A team that is slow to obey doesn't belong in the woods.
Horse
logging also takes a physical toll on the horse. Pulling logs is quite
different from pulling 
a wheeled vehicle. Logs are a dead weight pull. They roll and flop, snag
and hang up, jerk and bruise. The shoulders of a logging horse take a
terrible beating even with perfectly fitting harness, and over time become
ouchy and arthritic, taking the "heart for the work" out of
even the best horse.
Logging with horses is an enduring craft: Quiet, efficient, easy on the environment, protective of seedlings, and enabling a more selective harvest. Fritz was good at his task. Down through the years team-mates came and went, but Fritz stayed: Durable, faithful, obedient, strong, and willing to climb that mountain one more time for another turn of logs. Over the years Fritz and his variety of team-mates provided a financial income which comfortably supported as high as three families. Fritz literally fed us, clothed us, housed us, sent children to college, and much more. !!What a faithful servant he has been to my family!!WELL DONE, FRITZ!! In a practical sense, Fritz is the best investment I have ever made, and he won't be put down until it is the merciful thing to do. I choke up even anticipating that day.
Have I been as faithful a servant to my spouse, children, and God? Friend, it's probably time to get on our knees and voice the prayer of the psalmist (139:23-24), "Search me O God and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked (unfaithful) way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Joshua in the Old Testament says, "Choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15).""Lord, forgive my unfaithfulness, my sin. Come into my life right now as my Savior and Lord. Harness and hitch me up for serving you. I will be obedient to your voice. When my task on earth is complete I hope, no I expect, to hear you say, 'Well done thou good and faithful servant,...enter into the joy of thy Lord (Mt 25:21-23).' Thank you Lord. Amen."
If this has been your prayer, contact us at CTRF so we can rejoice with you. Praise the Lord!!
