"Alone"

I saw him over yonder,

Way off there alone,

That steer was prone to wander,

But this time far from home.

My Daddy always told me,

When you see one off like that,

You better go and check him,

Ride out to where he’s at.

‘Cause it is more than likely,

You’ll find that he is sick,

You might need to rope him,

And doctor him real quick.

So keep the meds all handy,

There in your saddlebag,

And the needles and syringe to use,

And check those old ear tags.

And if you think he needs it,

Bring him close on in,

Make sure his feed and water,

And doctor him again.

And now when I remember,

The lesson of the steer,

Who showed he was not healthy,

By refusing to stay near.

I thought of how the people,

Who struggle with their load,

Will often go off by themselves,

To deal with seeds they’ve sowed.

And one way you can tell it,

Is they tend to isolate,

Disconnect with others,

Dragged down by the weight,

Of things that have no answer,

Unless God finds a way,

But it’s up to us to come back,

And call on Him and pray.

And if we see somebody,

Who’s out there all alone,

It’s a good sign that they need us,

And someone to bring them home.

So look out for the lonely,

And load your saddlebag,

With love and lots of TLC,

And raise the Kingdom flag.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works…” (Hebrews 10:24, NLT)

It’s part of what we do, and it’s important that we do it. People struggle with their problems and often isolate themselves rather than asking for help. Do we leave them alone until they come around or beg us for assistance? No. We are called to go after people who have wandered away, just like the Good Shepherd pursues the lost sheep, the woman searched for her lost coin, and the father ran out to welcome the lost son. Encouraging others should be our habit and way of life. Let’s find ways to do it, with God’s help

Lord, help us encourage one another, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreenart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.