Something my riding instructor used to coach me away from before competition was practicing the dressage test in sequential order.  She would tell me that it would not benefit my horse and I because my horse would come to anticipate the dressage test, and not remain soft in my hands.  While at the time I didn’t even know how to keep my horse soft in my hands anyway, I understood what she was trying to say and submitted to her instruction.  Recently, I have been finding myself pushing forward under what I thought was instruction and command.  When I hear God say something, I go for it with everything in me.  While this is a good quality, it can also be dangerous and I can get caught up in a few things 1) I can overwork myself and get burnt out 2) I can leave people behind in the process.  I have had a few people encourage me recently to slow down and rest.  At first, it was really hard to hear, but then it made sense.  It was just like a transition, an anticipated queue from a rider.  

When riding, the half-halt is super useful.  It can come before a queue – it is almost as if the rider says with their body, “something important is about to come, be sure to listen.”  This is exactly what God had been doing to me.  He has been half-halting me.  Not enough “woah” to make me stop, but enough “woah” just to get me to pay attention so he can tell me something.