"Real"
They say a real cowboy,
Is never quite sure,
What to say when they ask him,
‘Cause he’s had to endure,
A whole lot of failure,
While learning his trade,
And has some real wonder,
If a good hand he’s made.
Sure he can ride horses,
And some that did buck,
But if he somehow topped ‘em,
He felt he had luck.
And, yes, he’s roped cattle,
But he’s missed a lot, too,
Spent lots of time watching,
Them escape loops he threw.
And he can cook biscuits,
In the Dutch oven style,
But the burnt side was common,
And still, once in awhile.
Yes, it’s kinda like sayin’,
I am, but I’m not,
But I really do give it,
All that I’ve got.
A lot like a Christian,
Who’s saved and they know,
But still struggling and learning,
Have a long way to go.
O Lord, bless the cowboy,
Not the fake wannabe,
But the ones who are out there,
From the road you can’t see.
A’workin’ and tryin’,
And still eatin’ dust,
Findin’ their own way,
‘Cause to cowboy they must.
And God bless the Christian,
Who knows in God’s sight,
They are forgiven,
By the blood made all right.
But still fight some battles,
And still deal with sin,
Need all of God’s Spirit,
To overcome then.
Still working, still standing,
Am I the real thing,
By God’s grace I hope so,
And that’s what I bring.
“He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession…” (James 1:18, NLT)
We chose Him, but He chose us first. We cannot earn it, but we can receive the new birth by faith in Jesus Christ. Above all of His creation, God prizes us most. But above all, we belong to Him. We are possessed by His Spirit. This is about ownership and leadership. This is also about empowerment. This is about receiving His true word and living it out. It’s all about living out our true, God-given identity. It’s real, in spite of all our weaknesses, failings and challenges. Amen.
Lord, help us to live authentically, in Jesus’ name.
Art by Don Weller, donweller.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.