I hope you voted last week

I hope you voted last week, because that is one freedom, we have that we sure need to use! I’m not a real political person, but I know things don’t always go in the direction that we want them to and if we don’t vote, then we should not waste people’s time gripping about the results. 

Life can sure get filled up with challenges, and they seem to always occur during the worst possible times…as if there was ever a good time for them to occur!    

Life does get tedious, don’t it!   And then, the Good Lord saw fit to water our garden. Why, that just seemed to let us know that anything that really mattered was being handled by the Good Lord. You see, we get very busy lining up things in our life and fretting over how we will ever get over the “sty”… sorry, I expect you young whippersnappers probably never heard the old fable about getting your load moved to the other side of the fence. 

Maybe I will get the chance to explain that to you some day. Right now, I want you to begin to realize that our load can get so heavy and unbearable that it can cause us to be overloaded and make us sink to our knees because of the weight. Now, I expect that may be part of the Good Lord’s plan, because now that we are on our knees, maybe we will take the time to look up and ask the Good Lord to give us a hand! 

In fact, I have heard it said that it is hard to stumble when you are on your knees! And then, as He is watering our gardens, it is easy to say “thank you” an’ depend on Him to give us help with our load. I don’t know about you, but it sure makes my life easier. 

My Ol’ Daddy always said, “Most of life’s troubles don’t seem to be so important when your knees are a painin’ because you find the time to kneel an’ ask God to give you a hand!”  I was inspired to write this poem when I saw a picture of our friends. Floyd and Valerie Beard, driving cattle to mountain pasture for summer grazing. 

Their Colorado ranch makes a great source of material for them as they both write and recite cowboy poetry. Now this picture that I based this poem on showed that they were headed to better pasture. Well, I thought about how in our own lives, as we learn life’s lessons through work and play, we make plans for the future. And when we go to church to praise our Lord, we are preparing ourselves for that final trip to better pastures. 

A few years back, Floyd suffered a massive stroke. Ironically on that same day my Pard J.C. Penny, who also writes and recites cowboy poems, also suffered a massive stroke. This slowed them both down some, but by the Grace of God, they both cowboyed up and got right back on the cowboy poetry trail. They follow the cowboy code, and they did not give up! What they did, as we all do, was to continue living their life with a faith that God has plans to move each of us to the “Lord’s Pasture.” 

 

THE LORD” S PASTURE

We kicked them blankets an’ hit the floor to greet another day,

‘Course, them aches an’ pains we ignored,

Headin’ fer where Cookie’s fire roared,

For that, we quietly thanked the Lord,

His Grace would give us strength an’ courage, to get us on our way.

 

The wrangler brought the horses in, Pap was there to throw his loop,

We’d call the name of ours to ride,

Pap’s aim an’ skill was undenied,

A lessor job, he’d not abide,

Most all times, yore ride would start with bolt an’ jolt, with shout an’ whoop!

 

 Daybreak brought a crispy morn, we coffeed, then mapped out our plan,

That ol’ windmill shore needs repair,

Mama cows moved to better fare,

Along with salt to get up there,

Just a few of the things to do when yore ridin’ fer the Man. 

 

There’d been a scatterin’ of rain, ‘nuff to settle that ol’ dust,

Them ol’ mama cows was trailin’,

Put a bit of dust a sailin’,

‘Cuz that ol’ wind was a wailin’,

So, we pulled our hats down tight, an’ faced right into that windy gust.

 

As we slow but sure make that gradual climb to summer feed,

We often lean in to discuss,

How mama cows depend on us,

To give them care without much fuss

As we watch ‘em close an’ keep ‘em safe… to meet their ever need.

 

A cowboy’s work is never done an’ sometimes shore ‘nuff hard,

So, find the time during the day,

Step off your hoss an’ kneel to pray,

You’ll find He’ll always guide your way,

It’s just a simple matter of puttin’ your trust in the Lord!

 

So, we say thank you Lord and put our faith in His loving care,

That gives us a clearer view,

Through our faith, our life is true,

Folks, that is just the thing to do,

See traveling along life’s trail, our faith is made stronger by prayer.

 

Do your best to hold close to your Lord wherever you may roam,

Just like them cows, we have a need,

But from our sins we have been freed,

He gave His life to intercede,

So, we each arrive at the Lord’s pasture, our Heavenly home!

© Ol’ Jim Cathey 

 

Thank you, my friends, for doing the things it takes to preserve our western heritage.

Lord, we continue to pray for rain! Please join us at First Baptist Church Marlin.

God bless our Western Heritage and God Bless America! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marlin Democrat

251 Live Oak St
Marlin, TX 76661
Phone: (254) 883-2554
Fax:(254) 883-6553