"Ride"

I called him by another name,

The very first I rode,

Old Corky was so patient,

Walkin’ with a childhood load.

Retired from Turtle rodeos,

Past twenty, if a day,

He baby-sat me early on,

And taught the cowboy way.

And then Dad gave me Dizzy,

A pretty buckskin dun,

By then I was a twelve year old,

And, man, that horse could run.

And in the pasture and the rope pen,

I learned to cast my twine,

And out there at the SLE,

So glad that he was mine.

And other names like Deacon,

Drifter, Roller, too,

And one that I still have today,

Named George Strait, it’s true.

And now as life’s old seasons,

Turn to my trail’s end,

It feels like all these horses,

Somehow and some way blend.

Into the same old cayuse,

Different colors, different names,

But some of life’s great moments,

Make them all the same.

My horse, there, I said it,

Because they were all mine,

And every single one of them,

And every single time,

Gave me more than I expected,

They mean so much to me,

In fact, one of God’s blessings,

And I will always be,

Thankful that I rode ‘em,

From the first down to the last,

And even more appreciate,

Since my trot is not so fast.

My good, old saddle partners,

We worked hard many days,

And windy, funny memories,

And in a thousand ways,

Made me who I am today,

A man who loves the ride,

I think I’ll go and saddle up,

Find that circle far outside.

“Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone- as though we had never been there.” (Psalm 103:15-16, NLT)

If it were not for the fact that we are destined to live forever with the Lord, this life could never be enough, despite its blessings. Mine has been full, and I’m thankful for everything I’ve been graced to enjoy, especially the horses. But the bottom line is that life will soon be over, and when it is, we say good-bye to all we’ve known. God has called us to live life according to His purpose, and then fly home to be with Him forever. Whatever legacy we leave behind is something we pray the Lord will use to bless those who succeed us. Live or die, it’s all in His hands.

Lord, help us to make life count and then go home to be with You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Chauncey Homer, used by permission. Thanks, Chauncey, and God bless you.