I Believe There Are Angels Among Us!!

Yesterday I experienced a miracle and an angel. It was amazing! I really feel I need to record this so my children can appreciate it some day - so here goes. Yesterday my friend, Amy and I, took two of her horses, Leo and Dancer to hocking hills for a nice trail ride. It was GORGEOUS!! The weather was awesome and it was just fun. I love hanging out with my friend while riding. Definately a great way to unwind from day in and day out of kids.

Well, at one point, a woman came trotting up behind us. It really caught me by surprise - not because there was someone else on the trail, but because she was alone. You should NEVER ride alone on trails like that because 1) if you fall off and get knocked out, there is no one to help! You won't be found for days! and 2) horses are herd animals- they do not like being alone at all without other horses for protection. So the fact that she was out alone I was like hm. Then when she pulled up with us I noticed she was probably in her 70s - maybe 60s, but I think 70s). That really shocked me that someone that aged would 1) be riding at all and 2) be riding alone in a place like Hocking Hills. Now, usually when you encounter other people on the trails, you say hi, but keep to yourself. But this woman ended up riding with us, chatting from time to time. I really liked her immediately. And I can HONESTLY say that it went through my mind 'this woman kind of seems like an angel' - you know the kind you hear that come out of no where and end up helping you? So then I thought 'hm - I wonder what we would need an angel for? ah she's probably not an angel - Amy and I have ridden so many times on trails, I'm sure we're fine.'

Well not 10 minutes after I thought that, we came to a super muddy part of the trail. It was a very thin trail - single-file-horse line kind of thing. The woman was about 4 or 5 horse lengths ahead of Amy and I. I went through this muddy ravine first, honestly not even thinking of the danger cause we had been through so much mud already. But the horse I was on had been prissy about the mud all day - he has been trying to avoid it at all costs. Well, before I knew what was happening, Leo tried to step up on the side of the revine (probably 18 inches up) but his front right foot slipped and down he went. I remember as he was falling, I pictured my right leg being crushed so I pulled that leg up fast, which propelled me off of his right side. I hit the side of the ravine and as he stood up, I slipped underneith him. The first thing I felt was a HUGE Leo foot on my pelvis - REALLY hard. I clearly remember thinking 'O God - my pelvis is going to be crushed!' Then I felt his feet on my chest, though I lost track of where what feet landed on me. When he stepped on my chest, I thought 'O no - I'm going to have cracked ribs and punctured lungs!' Then once he found his footing - I know he was trying not to hurt me, but he kept slipping on me and the mud - he trotted up ahead a few steps.

Amy looked down at me - I can just imagine what she saw because I was COVERED in the mud - probably a blessing because I'm sure the soft ground offered shock absorption.

She said 'Are you OK??'

I took a breath - happy to find I COULD still breath and said 'I think so.'

And she said 'Because he stepped on you!'

I said 'I know...' I sat up and evaluated everything - shocked to find I didn't have anything that hurt extremely bad. Then I realized the woman ahead of us had stopped the horse that I had been riding - she blocked the trail so he couldn't run away. She said 'Is she ok??'

I stood up - shocked that I could! I walked over to the horse, thinking I could probably get back on him and ride back. I knew we were very far from the trail head (about 5 miles!) and I knew I couldn't walk it back. Amy offered to walk it with me, but I knew with the condition of the trails, I wouldn't be able to walk the horse back. I had to ride, or EMS was going to have to come haul me out of there. Those were my choices and I didn't want to wait the 2 hours it would probably take for EMS to get to us. So I started trying to find a place to mount, but felt like I was going to pass out. I sat down, and then layed down for a while. When I was feeling better, probably about 10 or 15 minutes later, I got back up on the horse. What a good horse allowing me! He had to be so scared - poor guy. Then the woman - the angel - that was with us led us down the rest of the trecherous part of the trail. She talked me through it all the way. She told me that if my horse started sliding, she would keep her horse close so Leo could slide into her horse, Pedro. Cute horse, cute name!! She kept asking if I was OK, if I was nauseous, if I was going to pass out, etc. Then we came to a fork in the road and she directed us the way back to the camp - said the most dangerous parts are past and we would get back fine on our own.

I realized I didn't even know her name, so I asked her and she said 'Edna'. She went left on the fork-in-the-road and we went right, the way she directed us. I'll probably never see her again, but I hope she knows how much she really helped me. I have to tell you that Leo probably would have taken off had her horse not been there. I would not have been able to walk back. Even if Leo had stayed, I don't know if I could have made it over the other dangerous parts we went through with how scared both Leo and I were. She and her horse were rocks for us.

What a miracle that God sent her to us. If she was a real woman, or an angel, I don't know. But I KNOW God sent her to help us through that scary time. What a miracle that I didn't get more than bumps and bruises. I did go to the ER later that night and they x-rayed my pelvis and knee and found nothing wrong. Just said that my knee had been twisted pretty badly. They put me in a knee brace and sent me home.

I've been asked today if I'll ever ride again. YES. As Amy pointed out, that stuff can happen anywhere, any time. I could get in a car accident, I could crash on my roller blades. I could trip while walking and break a leg. I could fall out of our new boat and run into the motor. There are sooo many 'what ifs' But I know how much I love horses and just having a mishap like this is not enough to keep me off (of course I'll stay off till I'm healed...) I will be more careful in the future, I will always wear my helmet - I am so thankful I was wearing it yesterday! I am even considering shopping for a riding vest for dangerous trail riding.

I have to ask though, Why did God send Edna to help? Why did he prevent me from being hurt? I guess he knew I had to witness a miracle. It humbles me he kept me safe so my children still have their mother. It humbles me he went out of his way so much to help me. I've always known he loves me, but this proved to me he DOES know me personally and cares for my well-being. I don't understand it, but I am extremely grateful for it.