"Old Cowboy Friend"

I picked his teeth up off the floor,

When they from his pocket fell,

No one came in through the door,

He was glad and I could tell.

He fumbled with his walking cane,

It had a rubber tip,

His eyesight had grown kinda dim,

I’m glad he didn’t trip.

His stories of the bovine wild,

Good horses he had known,

I loved to sit and hear him tell,

The cowboy seeds he’d sown.

An eye for cowboy artistry,

He knew if they’d been there,

Or if they were a wanna-be,

And glad if one took care,

To paint the horse and rider right,

The saddle, tack and rope,

If the shadows and the light,

Captured all the depth and scope,

Of cowboys workin’ cattle,

And to the practiced hand,

It makes all the difference,

When that old bronc you’ve fanned.

He rode until his eighties,

But lost his balance then,

And now he rides in stories,

Of how it was back when.

O Lord, please bless my cowboy friend,

And give Him all your peace,

Make a place for him to rest,

When his old heartbeats cease.

And help me, Lord, to make the most,

Of every day I live,

Filled with the Spirit’s power,

That only You can give.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, NAS)

No one knows how many days they have left unless somehow God lets them know. Most of us put the future in God’s hands and do the best we can with the opportunities of the day. But as time passes we ought to make it our objective to grow in wisdom. And this comes from a consistent engagement with God’s word and asking the Holy Spirit how to best apply it. Wisdom grows and can benefit others if we proactively cooperate with the Lord’s will and work.

Lord, teach us to number our days, in Jesus’ name. +

Art by Shawn Cameron, used by permission. Thanks, Shawn, and God bless you.