Shane
Adams, 40, has been around horses for most of his life, but he has had a
special bond with his horse, Mongo.
In 2014, Adams
had Mongo with him on a camping trip in the West Desert, about two hours
from Salt Lake City, Utah. Adams heard the rustling of horses outside
his tent early one morning. He looked out of his tent just in time to
see Mongo break loose and start chasing after a group of wild mustangs.
Adams tried to chase after his horse but got caught up in a snowstorm.
"I thought he’d just come right back. That was
his mentality — he never went far. I didn’t think he would ever be
gone," said Adams.
But Mongo didn’t return.
So Adams kept looking for him… for 3 years. He
gave up hope, supposing that Mongo must have died.
After Mongo ran
away, Adams contacted the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Utah and
the local brand inspector to inform them that Mongo was missing.
On September 27 of this year – eight
years after Mongo’s initial disappearance – a BLM employee contacted
Adams to inform him that Mongo had been found.
Mongo was found when BLM had gathered
some wild horses from the Dugway Proving Ground – a high security
location in Utah – due to overcrowding. Although Mongo had lost 400
pounds, he was still larger than the other horses. When Mongo did not
try to flee or fight upon his capture but settled rather quickly, the
BLM horse specialist knew he must have been domesticated. The
specialist remembered Adams’ report of his missing horse. Mongo’s brand
was discovered under his winter fur and the brand inspector identified
it as belonging to Adams.
Adams drove four hours to retrieve his
beloved horse. He wondered if Mongo would be skittish after running
with wild horses for eight years. To his delight, Mongo had not
forgotten things Adams had taught him. Mongo even walked right into the
trailer that was hitched to Adams’ truck.
It has
been a joyful reunion, even for Mongo.
Adams said Mongo
has enjoyed returning to his domesticated life, and one of the reasons
is that he gets to enjoy his favorite treat again: Sour
Patch Kids. *
Jesus once told a story about a missing sheep: “What man of you, having
a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine
in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds
it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors,
saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was
lost!’” (Luke 15:4-6).
We humans can learn a lot from Mongo and Jesus’ story about the lost
sheep. (Jesus was really talking about humans.) The lure of the world
– whether it is the prospect of “greener grass” or the thrill of running
with wild mustangs – is strong and we all succumb to its temptations
(Romans 3:23), not realizing the deadly peril of choosing that way of
life (Romans 6:23).
But God longs for us to return “home” and He gave His Son Jesus to die
for our sins on the cross so that we can come home (John 3:16).
God will save and give eternal life to those who place their
faith
and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sin in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31),
confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). God
will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the
light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).
Stop running with the wild horses. Stop looking for greener grass. The
Father wants you to come home so that He can take care of you and give
you the best life now and eternal life to come.
-- David A. Sargent
* Information gleaned from “Utah
horse returns home to owner after 8 years of running with wild mustangs:
‘It’s a miracle’” by Sydney Borchers of Fox News,
www.foxnews.com.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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