"Question"

Have you ever questioned,

The timing of your birth,

We don’t choose our parents,

Or when we come to earth.

I’ve often thought that some folks,

And even about me,

That I was born much later,

That what was s’posed to be.

I guess because of comfort,

When horseback way out there,

Or sitting by a campfire,

With cowboys anywhere.

I’m more alive with cattle,

Than people in a town,

I’ve never had to go there,

To feel all safe and sound.

And living close to nature,

And what the land will give,

Has always been my preference,

The way I want to live.

Would I have worn a pistol,

And be a real good shot,

Or not even bother,

I’ve wondered quite a lot.

And, no, I’m not complaining,

I’m thankful for all things,

Conveniences, technology,

And most of everything.

God knows all the seasons,

He’s Lord of history,

And He knows how to govern,

And all that ought to be.

So I will trust His timing,

And even when I came,

And when my life is over,

I’ll trust in Him the same.

Eternity is waiting,

Through Jesus I’m secure,

His Spirit is inside me,

And He has made me sure.

“Last of all, as though as I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him…” (1 Cor. 15:8, NLT).

In this verse Paul is talking about the apostles who gave witness to Jesus’ death and resurrection. He then says he too saw the Lord, but wondered if he had born at the wrong time. Interesting. Every cowboy I know, myself included, has wondered the same thing. Why wasn’t I born back in the time when cattle were driven to market rather than hauled on trucks? Why didn’t I get to see the unfenced west? I wonder if I would have made it through the violence of that time? Would I have been brave? The questions could go on but you get my drift. I remember as a child seeing the movie “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” One of the most dramatic moments in the movie was when the Titanic was sinking, and the choice had to be made who would go onto the life boats. I was a young boy when I saw the movie, and the men and boys were asked to let others go first, knowing that they ultimately would drown. It scared me, then tormented me. Would I have had the courage to let others go first? I don’t know. Today we are facing the disruption and threat of the Corona virus. It is part of the challenge that life gives us. But we can trust the Lord. Ultimately, we are all born when God saw fit to bring us into the world. And more importantly, God has made a way, through Jesus, for us to be born again. We can trust God with the sequence of history. He is Lord of time and eternity. What is most important is if we respond to Him now. The grace we need is there. Receive it.

Lord, we surrender our lives to Your will and timing, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Joel Phillips, joelphillips.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Joel, and God bless you.