An Investment of the Best Kind

a daily inspirational email for horse people

My husband’s aunt collected collector’s plates. She had many types, commemorative plates, special plates, some with the year written on them. Each plate had its own box and certificate of authenticity. When she moved, we packed them as if they were the crown jewels. We packed them again when she moved again. And when she died, we packed them one last time.

When we tried to sell them, we were astonished to find that the plates were now worth only about $5 each, and we’d have to sell them on eBay to get that!

Their commercial value had nothing to do with their real worth. Rex’s aunt enjoyed owning and displaying them. They had done their job. They didn’t owe her anything, though they couldn’t be classified as an investment.

As I get older, I realize that the trophies of youth aren’t worth what we thought they were worth. Like the collectors’ plates, they chronicle what was, and they had value for their time.

If you’ve ever tried to sell a horse, you’ve experienced the same thing. The qualities that make a horse more valuable to us as a companion or pleasure horse continue to develop as he ages. You can’t put a dollar value on the subtleties of dependability, a comfortable trot, being easy to catch, or stopping automatically when the rider loses balance. Unfortunately, though, the horse’s commercial value declines at about the same rate.

I’m glad that God looks at us the way we horse lovers look at our horses. He sees the subtleties, the humility that took us a long time to learn, the fact that we say a kind word instead of the snarky one that comes to mind first. He also sees us care for the animals He loves — even when they’re old and valueless.