"Crazy"

There, right through there,

That’s the way she went,

I just got a fleeting glimpse,

Been gone awhile, hell-bent.

A crazy, loco heifer,

‘Bout wild as a deer,

Couldn’t seem to catch her,

‘Cause never got that near.

She had her escape routes,

Knew how to get away,

And every time it happened,

It all got less okay.

And Dad got even madder,

Than he already was,

He blamed us and he cussed us,

And that was just because,

We couldn’t get that heifer,

She resisted being got,

To make things even harder,

That spring was getting hot.

So here’s what we decided,

And, by gosh, that was that,

We would hide and trap her,

Down near the water gap.

You see that’s where she came to,

When she needed a drink,

So it was time to get it done,

Least that is what we think.

And sure enough we made a camp,

And got the ponies hid,

Took some time to set the trap,

But that’s just what we did.

 We dropped a night loop on her,

Get her tied off quick,

By morning had her back at home,

But this will make you sick.

She went to jumpin’ fences,

And turnin’ somersaults,

And before you know it,

All our work was for naught.

Gone, and by gosh pi-yied,

That fool escaped again,

She turned up one year later,

With a friend’s herd she came in.

And now the moral of the story,

You know there is one there,

There are some folks that you can’t help,

No matter that you care.

They won’t be led or driven,

And if you force ‘em to,

They’ll bolt and run and find a way,

To get away from you.

Pray and keep on praying,

Love and do forgive,

But put ‘em in the Lord’s hands,

And you go on and live.

And maybe when the time is right,

And they run out of steam,

They will finally see the light,

And let the Lord redeem.

“And all this is a gift from God who brought us back to Himself through Christ…” (2 Cor. 5:18, NLT)

God has to bring people back to Himself. We get to be part of the process by praying for the, sharing our story with them, encouraging them, and setting an example for them. But ultimately He has to bring them around. Sometimes it can be very frustrating when we do our best to lead someone to Christ who’s just not ready to come. They let us know it, too. Sometimes, however, we want it for them so badly that we refuse to hear what they’re saying. We then run the risk of turning them off or making them feel pressured or judged. God helps us to hold people with an open hand and trust Him to do the converting. If they aren’t ready, they aren’t ready and cant be rushed. Trust the Lord with them, and trust His timing. He loves them more than we do and knows what it will take for them to change.

Lord, help us trust You to change people on Your schedule not ours, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mike Capron. Used by permission. Thanks, Mike, and God bless you.