"Brazos Sand"

Lots of sand down by the Brazos,

Good place to ride a colt,

Plenty there to slow him down,

If he decides to buck or bolt.

And good for any seasoned horse,

To take off all that fresh,

That deep sand will do the trick,

For any good horseflesh.

You can’t beat those wet blankets,

When you get that pony rode,

You’ll find he does much better,

If there’s lots of country showed.

An outside horse does better,

Even later when he goes,

Into some show arena,

And that’s because he knows,

If you ask him to do it,

He’s sure he’ll be okay,

Because of when you rode him,

So much from day to day.

And it’s just about the time spent,

When he learns to take his cues,

And you know what he’s feelin’,

‘Cause you read him like the news.

The connect ‘tween horse and rider,

A partnership and bond,

Something that they sing about,

Those miles spent far beyond,

The reach of time and fences,

Riding with a job to do,

And those who know describe it,

As something free and true.

So get down to the Brazos,

Ride that deep old sand a bit,

And put in all that saddle time,

For a pony who won’t quit.

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17, NLT)

James wants to make sure we understand the meaning of authentic faith. The faith that enables us to receive saving grace always produces good works. That’s how we know it’s real. If it doesn’t, it’s dead and useless. it’s simply not the real deal. The horse illustration is a good one. No matter what we believe is true about any given animal, the full potential can only be realized if it’s ridden enough. Our belief in what the horse can do is confirmed by the hours spent doing it. We are called to let our faith do the same- prompt us to action. This is not a sometimes thing, but all the time.

Lord, help us act on our faith, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Shawn Cameron, used by permission. Thanks, Shawn, and God bless you.