"Cowboy Wisdom"

I really got discouraged,

Then my cowboy buddy said,

I know you’re feelin’ down and blue,

But you are not yet dead.

And if your heart is beatin’,

Then it ain’t over yet,

You gotta keep on going,

And deal with what you get.

I’ve often thought about it,

When all the loops I threw,

Seemed to come up empty,

He reminded and I knew,

It’s best to keep on trying,

Even if you miss,

You keep that twine a-spinnin’,

And I will tell you this,

When that old pony’s snorty,

And he bucks you off your seat,

And when you get back on him,

He’s trying to repeat,

Just keep on a-spurrin’,

If you fall, just get back on,

Make it your best habit,

And you will not go wrong.

You can outlast and outlove ‘em,

You can go when others quit,

And the Good Lord will go with you,

And He never fails a bit.

Remember cowboy wisdom,

The words my old friend said,

I know you’re feelin’ down and blue,

But you are not yet dead.

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed…” (Psalm 139:16, NLT)

We think of our lives as unfolding in a random way. That’s because of our ups and downs, interruptions, false starts and dead ends. At times it appears to be chaotic and out of control. But the truth of God’s word is that our lives are laid out from start to finish. We do have some freedom concerning what we choose, but the Lord allows for that, too. And still His word says that our days are recorded, right until the end. This should give us a greater sense of hope, because God has made this commitment to us. Bottom line, it’s not over until God says it’s over, and as long as there is a heartbeat, there is hope for a better day. Believe it.

Lord, help us realize our lives are in Your hands, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tamara Rymer, used by permission. Thanks, Tamara, and God bless you.