"Nothin' Like It"

We ne’re saw nothin’ like it,

When those cows came off the truck,

And we were thinkin’ perty quick,

We might be out of luck.

‘Cause they were just as crazy,

As we thought they might be,

Hard to handle, wild and snorty,

The worst, ‘tween you and me.

We ne’re saw nothin’ like it,

When that colt that we had bought,

Bucked and pawed and tried to bite,

Whene’er we got him caught.

He seemed to be as feral,

As we thought he might be,

And he could buck a cowboy off,

The worst, ‘tween you and me.

We ne’re saw nothin’ like it,

When we had to rope that bull,

Got him dragged up to the trailer,

Used our best horse that could pull.

But then that bull decided,

To balk around and dance,

Fightin’ both the horses,

Thought we might miss our chance,

But with him we got plumb lucky,

And we got him loaded fine,

But it really did get western,

I won’t forget that time.

We ne’re saw nothin’ like it,

When old Shorty made the change,

He had been quite an outlaw,

All those years he rode the range.

Drank a world of whiskey,

Chased a lot of skirts,

And when it came to fightin’,

He was ‘bout the worst.

We thought he got religion,

But really born again,

He left behind his old ways,

Of the chaos and the sin,

Said he now belonged to Jesus,

And though we had our doubt,

Over time he showed us,

What a Christian was about.

We ne’re saw nothin’ like it,

When old Shorty came to die,

He had no fear, was peaceful,

When he smiled and said good-bye.

And the graveyard was plumb crowded,

With horses, wagons everywhere,

And so very many people,

Came to show respect and care.

‘Cause Shorty ne’er had no family,

But then again he did,

A train of folks who loved him,

When his outlaw ways were rid.

We ne’re saw nothin’ like it,

But hope again we do,

It might sound surprising,

But I’ll allow it’s true.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

It’s a story that’s been repeated countless times through human history. Someone who has lived a life far from God has a change of heart. The one who spent years running from God finds their way home to Him. The one nobody expects to be saved gets radically converted and changes direction altogether. It’s always amazing to see and surprising to experience. But it has always happened and will always happen until Jesus comes back. There will always be those who reject the Lord, die and face God’s judgment. But there will always be those who are born again, washed in the blood of Jesus, and face God with the assurance of eternal life and sins forgiven. Praise the Lord!

Lord, help us never lose the wonder of saving grace, in Jesus’ name.

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