"Old Brindle"

Look there in those bushes,

Dad, horseback beside,

Pointing right directly,

At one trying to hide,

From the cowboys who gathered,

And shipped them away,

But some in the thickets,

Tried to postpone their day.

And though I was staring,

I just couldn’t see,

The steer in the brushy,

That was hiding from me.

There, Dad insisted,

He’s brindle and bald,

He lifted his reins,

Then my name he called.

Brad, just go get him,

And take down your rope,

If you don’t get after,

I doubt there is hope,

That he with the others,

Will ship out today,

Ride into that thicket,

I heard my Dad say.

I spurred my old pony, 

And unhooked my twine,

I was determined,

And made up my mind,

That though he was hidden,

I would give chase,

And try to rope him,

Right there in that place.

Ahead I heard crashin’,

As he traveled the brush,

He was leavin’ the country,

And all in a rush.

But Old Dizzy was faster,

Than most, don’t you see,

And he was unwilling,

To leave that steer be.

Caught sight of him then,

A-dodgin’ and twistin’,

I’m duckin’ branches,

And hope not to miss him.

A little small clearing,

Let my loop fly,

Didn’t miss altogether,

And this is no lie,

Don’t know if it fouled up,

On the brush or a limb,

Missed his head, caught his front foot,

But snagged him and then,

He flipped right on over,

And lay there like dead,

Just then loped up Daddy,

And here’s what he said.

I told you to get him,

And now here he is,

Put another rope on him,

And we’ll lead him like this.

And that’s when Old Brindle,

Got shipped out and gone,

But I won’t forget him,

Though time’s yesterdays’ long.

And here is a lesson,

I’d like you to know,

Sometimes you can’t see,

What your Father will show.

And it’s by faith we go after,

What we cannot see,

To try to accomplish,

What God wants to be.

No, I couldn’t see him,

That old brindle steer,

But that didn’t mean,

That he was not there.

And Dad’s faith now seeing,

In heaven where we,

One day I’ll ride with him,

Again, don’t you see.

“…we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen…” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT)

Faith helps us see what we cannot perceive any other way. The spiritual realities are bigger than the physical, though what we can see is so often in our face that we forget about the immensity of what is unseen. It’s a great reminder, then, to fix our gaze or focus afresh on what our eyes cannot see. Faith takes you there, and nothing else will. And that’s true especially when we’ve been going through some sort of trial that won’t seem to go away. If it’s in your face it seems like a big deal even though it isn’t.

Lord, help us to live by faith in You and Your word, in Jesus’ name.

Art by JaNeil Anderson, janeilanderson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, JaNeil, and God bless you.