"Stampeder"

She’s just an old stampeder,

That crazy heifer’s last,

One ever to get gathered,

And quite some time had passed,

Since anyone had seen her,

And that’s why I was sent,

To see if I could find her,

And know which way she went.

She was two ranches over,

Why she went so far,

Is still a great big question,

Flagged down my old friend’s car.

It was my cowboy buddy,

A-headin’ into town,

Said he’s sick of cowography,

His troubles he would drown.

And trust me I was tempted,

But I just rode away,

He told me where he saw her,

Just the other day.

And right there in a catch pen,

There she stood and see,

She had herself a baby,

A-standin’ ‘tween her knees.

And when she saw my pony,

She panicked in that yard,

Crashed into the highest board,

Before falling backward hard.

I thought she’s gonna kill herself,

I kinda hoped she would,

And then we would be rid of her,

Forever and for good.

She tried to fight me through the fence,

She bellered and she kicked,

She slobbered and she made a fuss,

I knew I’d best be quick.

I somehow got her horns caught,

Over that old fence,

And Dan commenced to backin’ up,

Have not forgot it since.

Snubbed her right up to a post,

And got a leg tied, too,

Now a three-legged creature,

We’ll see what she can do.

I set her free and dallied,

And when she made her play,

She had to do it on three legs,

The ground, it made her pay.

And slowly, ever slowly,

We made our way back home,

Her little calf a-bawling,

And taggin’ right along.

The moral of the story,

Is when you run away,

Don’t be surprised if God shows up,

To bring you back some day.

He’s handy with His ropin’ twine,

His throw is sure and true,

He knows you have stampeded,

And what He needs to do.

You might come in three-legged,

With a rope burn here or there,

But let me tell you, brother,

It’s worth it for His care.

Just a little cowboy story,

To say to one and all,

The Lord has got a lariat rope,

Knows how to use it, y’all.

“This is real love- not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins…” (1 John 4:10, NLT)

All of us have run away from God, one way or the other. That’s the bad news. Some never find their way home. That’s the worst. But the good news is that God loves us all, no matter how far we run, and comes after us with His love. Jesus died for all, and the grace is there to forgive us all. But, bottom line, it’s up to us to receive the offer and actually be forgiven. John Wesley spoke of prevenient grace. That is the grace that precedes salvation that pursues and awakens us. How wonderful to know that God does not simply write us off, but comes after old stampeders like us. This grace leads us to full salvation and the change that He alone makes possible. Never doubt it. It’s the greatest power on earth and the greatest gift of all. Get some.

Lord, help us receive and cooperate with Your love, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mike Capron, mwcapron.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mike, and God bless you.