"Cowboy Memories"

An old cowboy full of stories,

‘Cause that’s what’s on his mind,

And soon they’ll be gone with him,

And nevermore to find.

He speaks of buckin’ horses,

Wild cattle that he caught,

And sometimes he gets teary,

When old friends fill his thought.

He talks about the old ways,

That were passed along to him,

The way they handled livestock,

Before his eyes grew dim.

If only we would listen,

To the stories that he shares,

Instead of never finding time,

Consumed by other cares.

The best thing we can give him,

Is to sit down and to hear,

While with us and still livin’,

Walkin’ history with us near.

And I believe the benefits,

Would be there for us, too,

Soaking up tradition,

That shows us what to do.

Honor those with hair of gray,

The Good Book tells it true,

And listen to what they will say,

They’re good for me and you.

“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…” (James 5:5, NIV)

Respecting and “coming under” those who are older is good counsel. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything an older person says and does. But we honor their life experience and whatever wisdom God has imparted to them. It’s a sign of humility when we do. We, in fact, should be clothed with humility toward all our brothers and sisters. The ultimate arrogance would be to ignore or otherwise disrespect those with greater experience. And this kind of pride sets us up for deception and those who want to rewrite history to serve their own nefarious agendas. What better way to know what is true than to listen to those who lived it?

Lord, help us humbly listen, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Alfredo Rodriguez, used by permission. Thanks, Alfredo, and God bless you.