"Surprise"

When I saddled up that morning,

I never one time dreamed,

That any wreck would happen,

Or that’s just how it seemed.

The pony I was riding,

I had ridden times before,

He seemed completely gentle,

And dead broke to the core.

But why it was that morning,

In a moment of untrain,

He’d plunge his head and leave the ground,

And go just plumb insane.

But that is just what happened,

It was a big surprise,

And the sudden surge of gravity,

Brought tears into my eyes.

It is never easy,

To see a grown man cry

Especially a cowboy,

At least I didn’t die.

But really just my eyeballs,

Leaked ‘cause of the shock,

Of hitting terra firma,

As hard as any rock.

A broken hip and pelvis,

And one adjoining bone,

Two ribs also were broken,

Thank God was not alone.

My brother there to help me,

After he had his laugh,

Got me to the ER,

No need for epitaph,

’Cause, yes, I did survive it,

And learned a few good things,

One, I wasn’t bulletproof,

And two, I had no wings.

Weeks in bed to meditate,

On what I had done wrong,

Really boiled down to one thing,

I did not belong,

On horses that I didn’t know,

Had got too old for broncs,

And this one was a counterfeit,

A bucking honky tonk.

Another thing to keep in mind,

Is try to time the fall,

When a brother’s with you,

Or leastways close to call.

‘Cause if alone out where I was,

Things could have gone much worse,

We really need each other,

Alone can be a curse.

And one final lesson,

That’s true time and again,

Life can be surprising,

But how you react then,

Will make all the difference,

In how your time is spent,

And if you can stay healthy,

Or wonder where it went.

It’s called deck of the hurricane,

And aptly named just so,

Stay in its eye, or least do try,

And cowboy up and go.

And, yes, they might surprise me,

Deliberate at this age,

A night latch to hold onto,

I follow wisdom sage.

I stay with the gentle horses,

No bronc surprise for me,

And least that’s how I’m praying,

My horseback days will be.

“Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding…” (Proverbs 2:2, NLT)

Wisdom is the ability to apply the truth to our lives. It’s not just knowing the truth that matters. It’s being able to put it into practice. That’s what the book of Proverbs is all about: applied life lessons. We learn from experience, but also from others who’ve been there and done that. They can save us if we are willing to listen. Unfortunately most of us have had to learn things the hard way. In any case, wisdom is a valuable commodity because so many people never seem to learn, even from their own failures and mistakes. Insanity has been defined as doing the same things over and over, yet expecting somehow to get different results. Ain’t true. If we want different results in our lives that are more in line with our dreams and goals, we have to learn how to make changes in our daily routine. Someone has said that’s where success is hidden. Wisdom is also God’s gift to us. In other words, He is willing to help us learn, know, and apply what is needed to change. He is generous with His wisdom, the Bible says. Why not ask Him about it, and the circumstance in which you need help the most.

Lord, give us wisdom, in Jesus’ name.

Art by JaNeil Anderson, janeilanderson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, JaNeil, and God bless you.