My Brave Story- Jenny Drury — In the Wild+Wonder

I've only had the pleasure of meeting Miss Jenny Drury once in my life, but I'm so honored to count her as one of my friends and a brave sister in Christ. Her Brave Story is one that hits home with me, not only because our families both raise bucking bulls, but also because I've walked through some of the same trials of putting my trust in God and letting my husband lead in many ways. Yes, it's so hard to give God control but sometimes it's even harder to trust your husband with decisions! Jenny has such a heart to share her love in so many ways and you can tell that her passion is praising Jesus and raising her daughter up to do the same. I don't know if I'll ever meet a sweeter more salt of the earth person like Jenny, but I'm so honored to introduce her here on our Brave Series!

Candace

I’m an Oklahoma girl married to a South Dakota boy. We live in Western Oklahoma on the Nothin’ But Try Ranch. We are living out our dreams, just not the way either one of us planned. Chad is originally from South Dakota where he and his brothers were raised as cowboys. Rodeo helped put them all through college. Jesse, Chad’s oldest brother, went to college on a calf roping scholarship while Chad and his little brother Shane went to college on bull riding scholarships. Shane was an NFR bull rider while Chad went on to the business world and wanted to one day raise bucking bulls with his younger brother. Shane passed away in 2006 from cancer and Chad made a decision that he would rather live out his life happy doing what he loved instead of keeping his high salary job and not be happy. He worked in Houston and had a ranch in Tupelo, Oklahoma. He ended up selling the ranch to one of his good friends and moved to Western Oklahoma where Shane had helped at the rodeo camp previously. He walked away from his job and everything he knew and rededicated his life to the Lord.
I grew up in a Assembly of God church and every time the church doors were open we were there. I knew and felt the presence of God at an early age and that is something I will never forget and hopefully never have to live without. God has done many powerful and awesome things in my life, but I just want to talk about stepping out in my faith.
In May of 2008, Chad and I were married and I moved three hours away from everyone and everything I have ever known. At this point, I didn’t realize that my faith wouldn’t just begin to grow, it was more of a growth spurt. We raise and compete with bucking bulls for a living, and the cost and time involved were going to stretch my faith and make it grow more than I even imagined. We prayed about what bulls to enter and what to sell and what to keep. The first bull born on our ranch we named Tid, after Chad's brother, Shane. We got offered a large sum of money for him, but we prayed and prayed about it and felt we should not sell him at the time which sounded crazy because it was a lot of money and I was pregnant with Addison (believe it or not most stock contractors are not rich). Shortly after that a different bull got hurt and as most animal people know vet bills can be outrageous. I started second guessing of decision of not selling Tid, thinking, “maybe it wasn’t God telling me that.” Needless to say, I had a dream and had more peace than I could imagine that night. God was telling me, “you are my child and I will provide for you and protect you.” I also felt God was showing me that I should be having more faith in my husband since he is the provider and the head of the household.

“God was telling me, “you are my child and I will provide for you and protect you.””

— Jenny Drury

I have been a daddy’s girl my whole life, I could pick up the phone and call my dad for anything from fixing a flat tire, to helping with my homework, or to ask any questions or opinions. Nothing is wrong with that and I am still close with my family, but I had to learn to depend on God first and my husband second. This step and that winter was when my faith in God and my husband really took root on a different level. We pray about what bulls to enter, what bulls to keep, which to sale, and what bulls to put with what cows to this day. The bull Tid I spoke of earlier, we kept him through his classic year of competition made it to the PBR Finals. We then sold him to a rodeo company after he was too old to compete and he has bucked at the NFR and the Canadian Rodeo finals. This was such a big accomplishment that came from us having faith and trusting in God.

Chad has always had so much faith and been a rock, I could never imagine quitting my job and moving on faith, but he did that. God is teaching me how to trust Chad with small things and big things. I know all about trusting in God and having faith on paper, but until you actually take the step or the jump into giving all of yourself to God, He can not completely be in control of every aspect of your life. The funny thing is I can quote every scripture and sing every song, but until you put all those things in practice you are just going through the motions.
Sometimes, I do wish we lived closer to my family, but I feel like with living away from everyone and all of our family, we have been thrown into this realm of the only way to make it is in faith. This was confirmed on the Sunday we dedicated Addi to the Lord at Trinity Fellowship in Sayre, Oklahoma. Andy Taylor said, “You are here for a reason and God has big plans for your family here.” God sure does have awesome ways of confirming things.

Our daughter Addison Grace is 5 years old and currently torn between wanting to flank her bull Chill Pickle, dreaming of becoming a University of Oklahoma college cheerleader, and thinking up names for our calf crop that is about to hit the ground. As you can see my faith will be growing a lot more, but I am sure blessed in the midst of living and learning with my daily walk with the Lord.