"Story"

I love to hear the cowhands,

Tell what they did back when,

Their words are full of pictures,

Of ranch life scenes and then,

They’ll offer a description,

Of some bad horseback wreck,

About a time they bucked off,

Right over that bronc’s neck.

And sometimes he will slap a knee,

And then he’ll laugh and smile,

And you know by how he tells it,

It’s really been awhile,

Maybe decades since it happened,

But the memory is real,

And there in the re-telling,

Is something you can feel,

‘Bout the spirit and the freedom,

And the courage that was shown,

Even if it’s been repeated,

So much that it’s well-known.

And then somebody else jumps in,

Says remember ‘bout that time,

And some old boy commences,

To describing that long climb,

When they brought down the cattle,

From the pastures way up high,

And how wild were the bovine,

Took everyone’s best try,

To gather, keep ‘em movin’,

Where they didn’t want to go,

And danged those old herd-quitters,

And the crazy ones, you know.

About that black bull on the fight,

Kept driftin’ the wrong way,

And how they had to get him roped,

Just to make him stay.

To come back later for him,

Tied to an old spruce tree,

And he nearly way-laid Bob,

As quick as he could be.

And on and on they tell ‘em,

But I never tire,

Of hearing those old stories,

Around an old campfire.

I’m reminded of the witness,

Of those who saw the Lord,

They handed down the stories,

That are now found in His word.

Thank God that they told ‘em,

Else we would never know,

The Good News of salvation,

And the Holy Spirit’s flow.

And one more thing I’ll tell you,

Is that people need to hear,

The story of what God has done,

To call you to Him near.

Your story has the power,

To touch a person’s heart,

And when you take time to tell ‘em,

You know you’ve had a part,

In their eternal future,

And the way their life may go,

So always tell your story,

Let everybody know.

“Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies.” (Psalm 107:2, NLT)

Stories are an important part of the human experience. So much of human history depends upon those who passed along their experiences as part of an oral tradition. Our scriptures are a product of this type of testimony. And the most important thing anyone can say is what the Lord has done for them. Someone had said that a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with a mere argument. I believe the facts always support the truth, but it’s not the facts that makes the most powerful impact. It’s your personal story of what God has done for you. Don’t be afraid to tell it!

Lord, help us tell others what You have done for us, in Jesus’ name.

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