"Horses"

I can stand up in my stirrups,

And hear the wind a-singin’,

It’s singin’ through the wire,

And across the pastures bringin’,

The desire of all the horsemen,

Who rode this way before,

When all was range and rivers,

‘Cept some tradin’ post’s old store.

And they wrangled and they hunted,

Exploring tracks unseen,

Through the mountains and the deserts,

Where men had rarely been.

They chased the bison buffalo,

They trailed the longhorns, too,

They were ragged, rugged, randy,

On every horseback crew.

But ferocious was their spirit,

To see the country new,

To wrest from it a living,

Like the wild ones always do.

We read their frontier stories,

How they suffered and they fought,

And always were dependent,

On the equine caught or bought.

Ancient bloodlines, colors,

Strong of hoof and bone,

A cowboy’s working partner,

Ne’er afoot so not alone.

And it was theirs the distance,

Of horseback men to know,

The natives and newcomers,

Whose heart it was to go.

And they finally tamed the country,

And gave to riders now,

The thing they dreamed we needed,

Yet we dream of them somehow.

When early day is breaking,

Or the sun is setting low,

And the breeze across the prairies,

Begins its song to blow,

Singing through the early rays,

We hear it clearest then,

And with the pink glow’s final rites,

We hear its strains again.

Singing songs of horses,

Who lived and gave their best,

Reminding us of all the mounts,

We love more than the rest.

And of all God’s blessings,

That His love has given me,

It’s the wind’s song in the wire,

And the horses, don’t you see.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17, NAS)

Life’s joys enhance our relationship with a Father who delights to bless us. Some people really don’t believe this. They think God is basically angry with them, but the truth is He blesses people with whom He is displeased. He does this to bring them to Himself, and often it is God’s goodness, not His punishment, that brings them to repentance. The cowboy life and the company of good horses are great gifts to me from my heavenly Father. We have all been blessed.

Lord, help us count our blessings, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Lisa Craig, used by permission. Thanks, Lisa, and God bless you.