"Far Back"

Far back off the highway,

Where the gentle breezes blow,

A-horseback, always my way,

To learn what I don’t know.

‘Bout the country and the cattle,

And the cowboy life out there,

Time spent in the saddle,

Eased the burdens that I bear.

And, no, I am not saying,

That if you live in town,

In trouble you are staying,

And grace you haven’t found.

But for me it’s not with people,

That I’ve found my peace the most,

Or under a church steeple,

Where the pews and stained glass boast.

But beneath the endless canopy,

Of sky and clouds above,

And there I feel the majesty,

Of God and His great love.

Looking through my horse’s ears,

I see what some can’t see,

And if I have the heart to hear,

I know He’ll speak to me.

And whether it’s a gather,

When we’re pushin’ cattle down,

Or after those that scatter,

Into remnants we have found,

Or riding ‘long the fence lines,

To find a place to mend,

Or spinning loops with my twine,

Brandin’ calves and to them tend.

I hear the babies bawling,

For their mamas cross the range,

And that old coyote calling,

Some things will never change.

Whatever that needs doing,

We’ll be at it, way out there,

And thrown in there’s the viewing,

Of God’s artistry and care.

But it’s far back off the highway,

So far not many see,

But, thank God, He made it my way,

That’s where I want to be.

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God…” (Psalm 19:1, NLT)

The heavens and all of nature testify that there is a great Designer behind the design, a great Creator behind the creation. It is important to note that there are those who worship creation, but such idolatry is a sad deception. The heavens proclaim. Nature testifies. The created does not point to itself but to the great Other who created it and made it beautiful. That’s why being “out there” can be so inspiring. Because of the power and grandeur, one can draw very close by simply being still and undistracted. Perhaps that’s the real secret: when we disconnect from the noise of this world, we learn from the silence of the world that points us to Him. Come apart and find the Lord. He expects you.

Lord, help us to draw closer to You and bring You glory, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.