Book authored by Vicki Watson, Sonrise Stable, www.sonrisestable.com
Assessment by Michael Leppert
8.5” W x 11” H, soft cover, 230 pages illustrated in color, ages 12-adult or read aloud to younger children $19.99
A devotional book is one that contains uplifting quotes or sayings, especially from a holy book, such as the Bible. Vicki Watson is a HORSE person and a Christian, through and through, and she finds guidance and inspiration from God by her experiences with horses and her knowledge of horses. She has compiled a large series of this inspirational material into one volume, Following the Narrow Path.
The relationship between Man and Horse is powerful and our world would not be the same without these, our second-best friends (if dogs are Man’s best friend). Vicki is able to see spiritual values and truths in her daily life with her children and her horses and finds constant reminders of her relationship with Jesus. Some of the anecdotes in this light-filled book are small wonders that we can all relate to – a “lost” jacket that is found last minute; a seeming lack of blessings that shortly turns into abundance; life lessons from observing horse behavior and experiences.
One example of this, is in the true story of Beka and Stormy, a teenage girl and her blind horse! Vicki sees them compete at a horse show and does not realize the horse is blind, but comments on how slow he is cantering in a “race”. Another spectator advises Vicki of the horse’s condition. After learning more about this amazing situation, Vicki draws a parallel between the horse’s “blind” faith in Beka and the blind faith we should have in God. I think this is a perfect example of a devotional passage. It is not taken literally, but is something that can pique our meditation mechanism to see in our own lives.
Following the Narrow Path is a book that one might keep on a bedside table or in the bathroom, to read a page or two throughout the day – and especially in times of darkness or tribulation – to shed light and uplift one’s attitude. While Christians will find its references to the Bible familiar and easy to relate to, non-Christians can find solace and value in its pages as well. It is a positive source of encouragement, no matter what one’s background is.
