"The Day"

Walked out in the darkness,

Before the sun came up,

Held a halter in one hand,

And a steaming coffee cup.

I stood a minute at the gate,

And listened to the dark,

A rustle here and songbird there,

The quiet ‘fore the start.

My pony wandered up to say,

Good morning and hello,

I slipped the halter on his head,

Poured out his feed and so,

I had a few more moments,

To wait for him to eat,

I sipped my cup and prayed a prayer,

The Lord my day to keep,

Steady and productive,

Peaceful, strong and true,

That I would have His wisdom,

To do what I must do.

A line of pink shown in the sky,

The distant sunlight there,

I threw my saddle on his back,

And finished up my prayer.

I thank You, Lord, for giving me,

The day so bright and new,

Fill me with Your Spirit,

And help me live for You.

I stepped up on my pony,

The cattle we will move,

To rotate grazing pastures,

Though they might disapprove.

No matter, we will get It done,

And doctor what is sick,

I’ll make the rounds and do the chores,

And ride through thin and thick.

And when the day is over,

And the shadows gather long,

I’ll offer up a prayer of thanks,

By His grace finished strong.

Lord, thank You for the work I do,

The cowboy way and ride,

And thank You for Your presence,

Each day to be my guide.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world…” (Romans 12:2, NLT)

We operate differently from the rest of the world. There are many examples, but here’s just one. The world encourages a strong spirit of entitlement which says that you deserve to be given something for which you did not work. This “hand-out” mentality, no matter the context in which it is applied, is very destructive. It opposes the notion that if we do not work, we should not eat. The poem above illustrates the opposite. No, not everyone is supposed to do cowboy work, but we are called to be conscientious about our labor and ask God to help us become as productive as possible. We work like it all depends on us and pray like it all depends on God. Then we trust Him with the results. It’s the best way to live.

Lord, make us productive, in Jesus’ name

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