"When"

Then old and gray,

But still I’d say,

His strength was there to see,

How are you, Dad,

He’d always had,

A lot of energy.

Weak as a cat,

He said like that,

His heart not doing well,

It was not long,

‘Fore he was gone,

And though it’s hard to tell,

Thought many times,

About that line,

He said to me back then,

He filled his days,

With working ways,

You couldn’t rein him in.

So many more,

You know the score,

They’re strong, but then they’re not,

So fast the change,

Life’s rearrange,

I think on it a lot.

A cowboy man,

His flame he fans,

Won’t ever ask for aid,

Just get out there,

His work, I swear,

By this his living’s made.

For years he can,

No other plan,

But then there’s a surprise,

He must slow down,

His limit found,

Though young still in his eyes.

I’ve seen ‘em go,

Spur on you know,

Up till they made the end,

And better that,

Than old and fat,

A-horseback, too, my friend.

What will it be,

For you and me,

Guess none of us can know,

Let nothing steal,

The way you feel,

‘Bout your get up and go.

When said and done,

And life’s race run,

Remember God’s own plan,

It’s not just here,

He makes it clear,

But on to glory land.

We’ll cowboy up,

Lord, fill our cup,

Until You call us home,

We’ll serve till when,

You bring us in,

Our name is in your tome.

“I will be your God throughout your lifetime- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” (Isaiah 46:4, NLT)

Some die young, and we wonder why. Only God knows…. Then there are those who live so long that we cannot imagine life without them. Then, they too succumb to life’s mortality. I once read that Billy Graham was asked if the mortality rate is higher in a generation that experiences war. He answered that the mortality rate is one hundred per cent in every generation. We recently visited the Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas. Admiral Nimitz is memorialized there along with all those who served in that theatre of WWII. It is a powerful exhibition of American courage and freedom. So many died there. But even those who survived are now dead and gone. The finality of death can’t be argued. But we believe in what happens after we die, and thank God, that’s what makes all that leads up to it worth every moment! Jesus, our Savior, has overcome death for us all. Believe it. Live like it.

Lord, help us recognize that You are with us to the end, and beyond, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Dane, dondane.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.