"The Life"

Old snorty horses,

And long freezing days,

Mean work seems endless,

Without much pay raise.

Ornery cattle,

That don’t want to go,

Wherever we’re pushin’,

They’re a bother, you know.

Relentless in summer,

The dry and the heat,

And all so our country,

Will have beef to eat.

And mainly considered,

By most civilized folk,

That we’re a hold-over,

Past history’s joke.

And then in a movie,

‘Bout the west on TV,

Think what they’re viewin’,

Is the real thing, you see.

And the trucks always crank,

And the tires always roll,

And the hard part and hard work,

Just rarely gets told.

So why does he ride for his money,

And why does he rope for short pay,

Really depends on who’s talkin’,

But here is what most of ‘em say,

They love the life that they’re livin’,

A-horseback is how it should be,

Just somethin’ about the far country,

And all things created they see.

And the wind and the sun and the rainfall,

And the mud and the ice and the snow,

Is just what it takes for the seasons,

To turn so the good grass can grow.

That cow with a good calf beside her,

The days when they gather and brand,

The pleasure a good horse will give ‘em,

Make ‘em thankful to be a cowhand.

No one to clap when they catch one,

No buckle award that they win,

But glad to be saddled and horseback,

And living the life they are in.

And I would just call it contentment,

Though uphill’s the way it will go,

A cowboy who still gets to cowboy,

And only a cowboy will know.

“…I have learned how to be content with whatever I have…” (Philippians 4:11, NLT)

Contentment can be very elusive, and all of us have had our share of miserable situations. People who love their work are very fortunate indeed, because in so many cases folks have to work at some job they really do not enjoy. But we all have a choice to make. Will we learn, as Paul did, that real contentment is tied to relying on Christ in us to do what we need to do? Or will we allow our circumstances to steal our peace. If you don’t like your current circumstance or job, keep on working and praying to change it. But in the meantime, receive the grace to be content in spite of it.

Lord, teach us the secret of being content in every situation, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jack Sorenson, jacksorensonfineart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Jack, and God bless you.