"He Mattered"
He mattered to the warriors,
Who fought in history’s fights,
From Mongols clear to World War I,
Long miles both days and nights.
He mattered to the conquerors,
Alexander called the Great,
To Crusaders and the Muslim hordes,
And sealed their riders’ fate.
He mattered to the gallant knights,
To those who jousted strong,
And to the ones all armor clad,
Who rode to right the wrong.
He mattered to old Grant and Lee,
To Stuart, Custer, too,
To Stonewall and the cause they lost,
Against the boys in blue.
He mattered to the horse tribes,
That once controlled the west,
Commanche and the lethal Sioux,
Traveled farther than the rest.
He mattered to the mountain men,
The far, high country rode,
The hunt of fifty caliber,
Steep courage always showed.
He mattered to the pioneers,
Who pushed for parts unknown,
Who overcame such hardship,
To make the land their own.
He mattered to vaqueros,
Whose skill became an art,
To make an equine partner,
That moved as if one heart.
He mattered to the drovers,
Herding longhorns north to sell,
And to the old chuck wagon,
That was pulled through hill and dell.
He mattered to the cowboys,
Who rode the distant range,
He matters to them now today,
In spite of all the change.
He matters to the racetrack,
The thrill of thunder stride,
The beauty of the gallop,
That cannot be denied.
He matters to the rodeo,
He matters on the ranch,
He matters to some people,
Who never got the chance,
To see him in the morning,
Running in the diamond dew,
And from a well-built saddle,
Ride till the day is through.
Of all that God created,
For some of us the horse,
Ranks up there with the best,
Of all He made, of course.
And when the Savior of this world,
Returns as King of kings,
He’ll be riding on a big, white steed,
As righteousness He brings.
He mattered to the ancient times,
Right down to present day,
He matters to this cowboy,
And all I have to say,
Is give me this last season,
Of my time here on earth,
And let me ride until I die,
‘Cause that’s how much he’s worth.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17, NIV)
One of the greatest gifts is when God grants us something of strength and beauty that we love. The Bible calls them “good and perfect gifts.” They are meant to illustrate the goodness of God and His willingness to bless us. And they are not limited to spiritual blessings like salvation, healing, forgiveness or deliverance. They can be financial, material, and relational. Those who love horses often see and feel the spirituality that happens when we bond with them. But above all, the thankfulness that flows from a grateful heart for the joy we experience. Let us celebrate every good and perfect gift.
Lord, teach us to appreciate every gift You grant, in Jesus’ name.
Art by Mary Ross Buchholz, used by permission. Thanks, Mary, and God bless you.