"Story"

When all the herd is gathered,

And every horse turned out,

We sit beside the fire pit,

Say what the day’s about.

And we might share black coffee,

Or something stronger still,

And after just a sip or two,

Words spin like that windmill.

Did you see that heifer,

That brindled, bald-faced brute,

When she turned back on Charlie,

He had to sail his loop.

And yes, by God, he caught her,

But then that colt he rides,

Decided to come untrained,

And blow up his insides.

He let go his dallies,

But not without a burn,

And yes, it was a bronc ride,

But Charlie got her turned.

Did you see Fred and Dusty,

When they pushed along that bull,

You know that big, old white one,

I’d hate to rope and pull.

But he was feelin’ ornery,

And sportin’ for a fight,

And if not for Dusty,

Fred might’ve said good night.

‘Cause at the final second,

When bully made his play,

Fred’s horse sorta froze up,

But Dusty saved the day.

He ran his horse into him,

And shouldered him around,

And that old, big stout gelding,

Nearly knocked him down.

And on and then another,

The cowboys laugh and sigh,

‘Cause if they couldn’t tell it,

Miss half the fun, no lie.

There’s power in the tellin’,

The Good Book says it’s so,

When we tell grace’s story,

And let the people know.

That we have found the Savior,

He’s done what He could do,

And when we talk about it,

Others find Him, too.

It’s just like the cowboys,

Who talk about their day,

The overcoming power,

Of Jesus Christ the way.

“How can they hear about Him unless someone tells them…” (Romans 10:14, NLT)

We talk about what we love, simple as that. Whether it’s cowboys talking about their day or fans talking about football or people voicing political views, verbalizing is a part of life. Christianity is a verbal faith. Granted, we are called to walk the walk, but that is so we can credibly talk the talk. Let’s face it, someone may have influenced us by the way they lived and the example they set, but at some point somebody had to tell us about Jesus. And everyone who knows Jesus is called to talk about Him. This doesn’t mean you have to know the answer to every theological question or be able to win a Bible debate. No, all we need to do is be ready and able to tell the story of what Jesus did for us. How did Jesus make your sure you’re saved? That needs to be told. How did it happen? How did you feel? What was your life like before and now? Someone has said that a person with a testimony is never at the mercy of someone with a mere argument. You’re not judging anybody or trying to pressure someone to change. You’re simply telling what He has done, and that’s exactly where the power flows to change someone’s life.

Lord, help us find our voice, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.