"Long Loop Roper"

I love that long loop ropin’,

See the poetry they do,

Reach out there catchin’ cattle,

Make it look so easy, too.

Seen ‘em flip it under-handed,

Snag heels across the pen,

Seen ‘em reach out far and neck ‘em,

Stack a dally, turn and then,

Handle cattle quiet,

Without a lotta noise,

Light-handed with their horses,

With skill and grit and poise.

Not quite the way I learned it,

But I am learning yet,

Whene’er I get to see ‘em,

It’s fun to watch, you bet.

I think when we quit learnin’,

And findin’ better ways,

We’re backing up, not growin’,

Not expectin’ better days.

And God’s a long loop roper,

Leastways He seems to be,

His twine of love is lengthy,

He sailed it over me.

Handled quiet and gentle,

Didn’t make a fuss or noise,

Just said that I belonged to Him,

Was one of His cowboys.

Yes, I love a long loop roper,

What I aspire to be,

To show the ones still runnin’,

God’s rope is long, you see.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” (Ephesians 3:17-18, NIV)

If we can find the limit of something we can make it fit into our thinking and ultimately our lives. We can in some ways control it because it becomes manageable to us. But this scripture tells us we should be able to measure the dimensions of something that is immeasurable. We are called to know something that is transcendent and not completely knowable from an intellectual standpoint. This something is the love of God. It’s dimensions are eternal and can only be understood if the Spirit shows us. How wide? Wide enough to embrace all of humanity. How long? Long enough to reach the one who is the farthest away. How high? High enough to connect the lowest soul to heaven. How deep? Deep enough heal the deepest hurt and break the strongest chain. And that’s not all of it. It’s a long loop…

Lord, help us realize the dimensions of Your love, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Kirstie Lambert, used by permission. Thanks, Kirstie, and God bless you.