Bridge Called Hope (30 page)

In the time before we brought the mare home, I privately contemplated what her future might become with us.

Since the beginning of the ranch, it has been customary to rename nearly all the horses that have come up our hill. I have always felt that a name is a title that they will hear often, a banner of honor under which they will live. Amongst our herd, almost every horse’s name has a special meaning to each individual, often something to be aspired toward.

The gray mare would certainly need a new name because the one she had was already in use by one of the equine “pillars” of the ranch. Even though I contemplated at length an appropriate name for her, and listened to many wonderful suggestions … there was nothing that just seemed to fit.

So often as it is in this walk of faith, we usually do not clearly see the next step until it is virtually under our feet. It wasn’t until the day that we brought the gray mare home … that something astonishing, remarkable, and unspeakable happened.

While working in the office, Troy was just starting to wade through his e-mail messages when one title caught his eye. It simply read “For Hannah.”

The e-mail began by introducing a young woman named Hannah Dunn. She was a senior from Highland High School in Indiana, and for those who knew her best, she was a country girl to the core. Although she was an excellent student, she rarely read books for pleasure, and even then was not easily impressed. Apparently she had recently read the book
Hope Rising
and was so deeply stirred and inspired by its message that she was moved to emotion. Upon finishing it, she purposefully determined that she would be moved not only to tears … but also to
action
.

Hannah realized that there were basically two ways that she could help. She understood that she could choose whether to “give a man a fish or teach a man how to fish.” In her mind, that meant that one option was to send help to Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch directly. Or … after reading
Hope Rising
, she clearly saw and understood that the fun she had been having all along in her backyard with her personal horse “Big John” and friends was perhaps helping them even more than she realized. A greater purpose galvanized within her heart to reach out to even more around her who might need this benefit.

In typical Hannah style … she chose to do both.

With all the money she had earned, Hannah bought as many items for the ranch as she could. While sitting together with her mother at the table, Hannah packaged her gifts for mailing and shared how she believed that her life would never be the same: “Mom, even though I have helped others and ‘officially’ volunteered, I don’t think that I realized just how simple it is to be a ‘living volunteer’ … to reach out to others all the time … with
whatever
you have.”

Hannah conveyed how much she loved horses, running, cheerleading, camping, sleeping in the barn … how much she loved them mostly for
her
 … for all the fun and happiness that they had given just her. She understood that although all these things involved other girls, she really never thought before how completely
easy
it would be to shift her focus from how these things benefited only herself … to how she could allow them to benefit those who might need her friendship, support, and encouragement.

Hannah’s mother was so moved by her daughter’s selfless realization that she reached across the table and pulled her into a firm hug.

The e-mail message went on to recount a school morning not long afterward that began in a typical way. Hannah came down the stairs and spent some time just talking with her mom. When it was time to go, she and her mother hugged each other strongly, as they always did. During their embrace, her mother whispered, “I love you” into her daughter’s ear and Hannah repeated it back into her mother’s ear before letting go. Together they walked to the backdoor where her mother said, “Have a good day …” As Hannah walked out to her car, she called back, “Okay.” Her mother closed the back door and watched her girl drive away toward another day of high school.

Forty-five minutes later, the stillness of the morning was broken by a sharp knock on the front door. Hannah’s father opened it to find a county policeman waiting for him. In a soft voice he reported that Hannah had been involved in a car accident and had been rushed to the hospital.

At 7:12 a.m., on February 24 … Hannah died.

It was the end of a long day and I had just come up the hill from the ranch and into my office. Only moments behind me, I heard the familiar sounds of Troy coming up the steps into our home. Twenty-five years of marriage has taught me many things about my husband; immediately I could hear that his steps were “heavy.” I knew that either he was exhausted … or something very hard had happened.

The sounds coming from the other room were as familiar to me as my own heartbeat. It was easy to visualize him pulling off his boots and throwing his jacket, hat, and gloves into the old rocking chair as he walked into the kitchen.

Rising from my chair, I walked to the doorway of my office and just watched him for a moment. It was heavy news … I could feel it emanating from him. He straightened up from the open refrigerator door and just looked at me. “I brought something that you need to read …” He reached for the counter and handed me the e-mail, which I assumed was the origin of his burdened heart.

In moments, I, too, felt as if my feet were too heavy to lift. The reason for the message was to make us aware that it was the wish of Hannah’s family that, instead of the gift of flowers to memorialize their daughter’s life, the parents had requested
that donations be made in her name to our ranch.

In great sorrow, honor, humility, and respect … I held the message to my chest and wept.

Lord, hearts and lives are in pieces. Within this storm of grief … I know You have a purpose in this … even though it is hidden at this time. You have proven within my own life that out of unthinkable loss, You can raise up unthinkable purpose … unthinkable joy. Lord, let this truth find a way into the hearts of Hannah’s parents, brother, and family
 …

Forever faithful through sorrow and joy, the sun rose again on a brand new day.

Still feeling heavy-hearted from the night before, I was thankful that this new day dawned on what was the annual ranch “Pray Day.” It’s a time when staff, volunteers, family, and friends join hands and hearts together to pray over every area and horse on the ranch before the new riding season starts. After praying over the entrance, the common yard, and the hitching area, we began praying our way through the main riding herd of horses. When completed with the herd, there was one more horse to pray over—the small, gray Mustang mare that had arrived only the day before. As our group made their way into the “introduction” corral to meet and pray for the new little girl, I was still very aware that she had no name.

Suddenly interrupting my thoughts, Troy shouted over his shoulder “Wait a minute!” as he ran down the hill toward his office.

In moments, he jogged back up the hill waving a piece of paper. Still breathless, he began to read it to the group now completely surrounding the small mare. “This just came earlier,” he explained, as he read a request from Hannah’s parents: “I know that it is a lot to ask … I don’t know if you can oblige
this request or not … but would it be possible … if, in the future, when you rescue a horse … do you think you might be able to name it after our precious Hannah?”

Suddenly, my internal “stonewalling” for a name made sense. Hannah’s family could not have known that the horse was already here … just waiting for a name—the
right
name. I watched in complete awe as one by one, everyone within the group raised their eyebrows in near unison, all silently asking the same question.

Finally, Chris hailed, “Hannah she
is!
” With that, everyone placed their hands on the little horse and prayed for her … by name.

In the days that followed, I learned much more about Hannah Dunn. In what I am now certain is no coincidence, Hannah’s favorite car, which she loved driving, was in fact … a Mustang. In all our years of rescuing horses—more than three hundred—this was our
first rescued mustang.
Truly, it seemed so completely fitting that the car she loved to drive would also become the breed of horse that would bear her namesake.

Through contact with Hannah’s parents, Randy and Melanie, a truth that has long lived within my heart was verified once again: If you see a great kid … usually, all you have to do is look over their shoulder … and you’ll see great parents.

Melanie shared this: “I learned so much from her. By remembering her joy, I will endeavor to be joyful because I have life
this
day. The memory of her “mime” dance in the second grade talent show, with her vibrant, happy, full-of-life style (an image I’ll never forget), still inspires me to ‘give it my all.’
I can still picture her doing her homework in the old maple tree … and I determine in my heart that ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I still picture her balancing the responsibilities of life with pleasure … and I realize that it
can
be done. Hannah was a friend to all, even those without friends. She showed me how important it is to take the time to make a difference in a person’s life. It doesn’t have to be big stuff; she proved that even with just a smile, a gesture, a word of encouragement … a life can be changed.”

Her mother continued, “Hannah used to always say, ‘Mom, if I’m gonna live, I’m gonna live BIG!’ I watched her do it so often, and I now know that, for me, because of her example … the sky is the limit.”

Through many tears, her father quietly summed up his relationship with his little girl by simply saying, “Maybe sometimes I treated Hannah too much like a princess … but that’s only because when I thought of her as my daughter … I felt like a
king
.”

Hannah Dunn lived a life of example. She was moved not only to tears by the pain of her peers … she was moved to
action
. Now, even in her loss, Hannah continues to lead by example … for those who follow her life of selfless love and choose not to be restrained by what they think they cannot do … but instead to be drawn forward by all that they
can
do.

Continuing, in part, through a little strong horse … Hannah’s legacy will live on. Her namesake will carry on her newly forged tradition of loving those whom the Good Lord brings into her life here on the ranch. Hannah Dunn’s selflessness of placing others first and loving them through the things that she herself loved will go forward through those who know her story … and who choose, as she did, to follow their heart.

“It is a beautiful, wonderful, mysterious mix of simplicity, innocence, and adventure that made up our Hannah Marie,” her mother said. “She was our entertainment, critic, laughter, frustration, pride, and joy … she was our fireball. It is this awesome mixture that has helped me realize we don’t need to be perfect in this life. (Christ has already paid that department.) Perhaps we just need to make sure that the good outweighs the imperfection in each of our believing hearts. Perhaps that is Hannah’s legacy.”