God's Purposeful Creation

I recently watched the movie Secretariat, based on the true story of one of the greatest racing horses that's ever lived. While it wasn't quite the amazing comeback story of Seabiscuit, one thing stood out very clear. This horse was created with the intention to do the impossible by God, and he knew it. He loved to run, and blew everyone away with win after win when he started racing at only two years old. Only months later as a 3-year-old, he won the triple crown, breaking all three track records. The Belmont Stakes in particular he trampled by winning 31 lengths ahead of the next horse. Upon analysis, it was found that he sped up at every marker, finishing faster than he had started at a whopping 49 mph, a feat considered impossible on the league's longest track.

Of course the story attributes Secretariat's success to his trainer and owners' guidance, his pedigree, etc. We often do the same thing, crediting good things in our life to our own work or others influences. But the reality is that we would be nothing without God. If we achieve our dreams it is because God instilled things in us that we acknowledge are his, and trust that he will bring us to victory. While a horse, I believe Secretariat did this. 

No one could guess then that this horse's record at Belmont Stakes would still be the record now, 44 years later. But an autopsy on the horse after he died and newer photography science show what the horse knew all along. His heart was three times the size of a normal horse's heart, allowing his running stride to be 10-20% longer than any other racing horse in history at 110-115°. (To put this into perspective, a cheetah runs it's max with a 125° stride.) Secretariat knew he was born to win races, and he trusted that his God-made body would get him there. His colts didn't inherit his talent by the way, while he sired over 600 of them. It took another generation of horses in his lineage to start winning stakes again. Secretariat was truly unique.

In such a simple yet powerful way this reminded me that we are all truly just as unique, that we are all created with such a specific, amazing purpose. We may not know what that is yet or currently, I myself struggle with this from time to time. But we are God's, that's the most important thing! He designed us for untold victories, and we only need to acknowledge HIM in all we accomplish, and let him drive our dreams to win. One thing I loved about this movie and Secretariat's story was how closely it related to a chapter in the biblical book of Job. Here God is replying to Job's complaints saying, “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds." -Job 39:19‭-‬24 NIV. Man does this describe Secretariat to a T! But it has a more important point: it's all God's power, not our own.

Secretariat knew where his strength and stamina came from, and it allowed him to do the impossible. And he was only a horse! Imagine where life would take us if we trusted head-on in God's purposeful plan for his most loved creation.