"Watch and Learn"

The day was cold and windy,

A hard time in the saddle,

But you can’t control the weather,

When comes time to move the cattle.

And we were out to get ‘em moved,

Before the calves were birthed,

Closer in to lower ground,

Where they’d be better nursed.

You never, ever would complain,

When moisture comes your way,

But I’ll admit I gave a groan,

When clouds spit rain that day.

The livestock didn’t like it much,

When we pushed them along,

Tried to take it slow and quiet,

To the place where they belong.

But one young man was hurried,

Guess he thought he knew,

Better than the rest of us,

An old and seasoned crew.

‘Cause he attacked the cattle,

With noise and lots of rush,

And all that I could think about,

Was wish his mouth would hush.

And sure enough the cows he pushed,

Tried hard to get away,

And we had to get around ‘em,

To gather them okay.

Through a corner gate they went,

Cow boss got a count,

And we all had a moment,

To step down and dismount.

No one talked to that youngster,

I guess he knew just why,

But later he rode up to me,

And I figured he would try,

To explain all of his hurry,

But that’s not what he did,

He said that he was sorry,

Looked like a little kid.

And something ‘bout the way he talked,

Reminded me of when,

When years before I started,

To handle stock back then.

I told him it would be all right,

That no harm had been done,

But if he’d watch and listen,

He’d learn from everyone,

To take things slow and easy,

Let the cattle find their way,

Turn ‘em when you have to,

And less likely they will stray.

The lesson’s movin’ cattle,

Hold true in how we live,

The pace slowed down, not hurried,

Some extra peace will give.

And if we’ll watch the old hands,

They’ll show to us the way,

Of following the Lord above,

And His will each day.

And when the weather’s pretty,

Give thanks for that old sun,

But even when it’s cold and wet,

By His grace get it done.

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ…” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NLT).

Paul was willing to be imitated as he followed the Lord. In fact, he encouraged the believers to follow his lead. This was not because of egotism, but because he was confident that he was doing what the Lord wanted him to do. This is an important component to our spiritual growth. We need to be able to follow the example of mentors who are farther along in the spiritual journey. They will make us aware of pitfalls and threats that can become a problem if unaddressed. Nothing can replace your personal relationship with Jesus, but that relationship is enhanced when we have the right kind of spiritual leadership in our lives.

Lord, give us mentors to imitate, and empower us to mentor others, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Kirstie Lambert, used by permission. Thanks, Kirstie, and God bless you.