"Cowboy Preacher"

Way out there beyond the miles,

Tears and prayers and horseback smiles,

They waited long for him to show,

But winter came and would not go.

It finally did and here he came,

They knew him by no other name,

Than preacher in a cowboy hat,

And made his home and that was that.

Some thought it was a shame you see,

To cowboy up and parson be,

But tell the Word and love the flock,

Good-bye the dead and praise the Rock.

And over time that’s what he did,

And no one there would say get rid,

Of that preacher man who loved em all,

And set the pace and shared God’s call.

Over time they did not mind,

When he was called and day work find,

At someone’s branding gather there,

He’d rope and drag without a care.

I think the Lord can use such men,

If they will turn and follow Him,

And even through a cowboy show,

The way to live, the path to go.

So whatever is the jar of clay,

The Lord will always make a way,

He’ll fill us with His Spirit’s power,

And starting at this very hour.

“We ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing tis great treasure…” (2 Cor. 4:7, NLT)

Whatever else we may be, the Bible describes us as a jar of clay. But the thing that makes us so special is that within the fragile jar there is a light, a treasure and a power. What is it? It is the presence of the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit flows through, He can use all the other parts of our identity to bring glory to God. So if you’re a cowboy, that becomes the package through which the Spirit flows to touch the lives of others. And it seems like it is a package He loves to use, maybe because people are drawn to horses and a simpler lifestyle. The emphasis, however, is ultimately not the package, but what the package contains.

Lord, fill us with Your light, Your treasure and Your power, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tyler Crow, tylercrow.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tyler, and God bless you.