"Every Roper"

Every roper I ever knew,

When he remembered what he used to do,

The older he got the better he threw,

Every roper I ever knew.

The headers and heelers a-doin’ it fast,

The hard-ridin’ trippers their big loops cast,

The tie-down boys with knees that won’t last,

But all better in memory than reality’s past.

The pasture ropers who doctor and gather,

The ranch roping milkers all in a lather,

Or hands at a branding, those heel loops do matter,

When they start to tell it the young cowboys scatter,

‘Cause they know what they’re hearing ain’t exactly true,

But they ought to be careful ‘bout doing what they do,

It’s best to respect the old boastful crew,

‘Cause one day they’ll join ‘em with what they once knew.

The great art of roping will never grow old,

And one reason for it are the stories we’ve told,

So what if the selling is a bit oversold,

I wouldn’t trade ‘em and I’ll declare bold,

What they remember and what they will say,

Stories of roping from back in the day,

It’s still fun to hear ‘em, I think it’s okay,

The ropers keep talkin,’ their stories hold sway.

So don’t make ‘em feel bad ‘bout makin’ that catch,

Of when they heeled that calf from their mama to snatch,

Or that time they roped one and grabbed the night latch,

‘Cause their good horse came untrained and tried to detach.

Every roper I ever knew,

When he remembered what he used to do,

The older he got the better he threw,

Every roper I ever knew.

“…we will speak the truth in love…” (Eph. 4:15, NLT)

The key to spiritual growth and maturity is to “speak the truth in love.” Spiritual growth and maturity require a steady diet of the truth, delivered in love. Typically we get one or the other. If all I speak and hear is truth, but do not show love, people will not be able to receive the truth we share. If all we share is love, the people may be comforted but there will be little change. Only the truth sets us free. If we share both truth and love, we will likely see miracles as never before. It’s one thing to tell cowboy stories that contain exaggeration or worse. It’s another thing to be untruthful about what matters most.

Lord, help us learn to speak the truth in love, in Jesus’ name.

Art by JaNeil Anderson, janeilanderson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, and God bless you.