"Cattle"

So why do y’all have cattle,

It’s something that we do,

And when folks ask the question,

I try to answer true.

You see we have the longhorns,

‘Cause they’re a piece of history,

And if you get the right cross,

Might hit genetic lottery.

And, yes, they’re nice to look at,

All that color, hide and horn,

And we get real excited,

When a brand new calf is born.

And then there are the feeders,

They’re mostly angus cross,

And a North Dakota angus bull,

That thinks he is the boss.

And the calves from them we’re raisin’,

To later feed and then,

They’ll be given as hamburger,

To a hungry family when,

Someone calls and tells us,

Hey, we know someone in need,

And God willing we can do it,

And family help to feed.

‘Sides we love the livestock,

And for us this goes way back,

To those whom we are kin to,

Who passed to us the knack,

To care for these old bovine,

We do the best we can,

And when led by the Spirit,

It’s part of God’s own plan.

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:20, NAS)

God’s created order contains many wonderful beasts. The psalmist recognizes Go’s ownership of every living thing. If He is the owner, we are the caretakers or stewards. We “husband” the livestock and care for them, recognizing that the Lord Almighty entrusts us with them. We hold life with an open hand, thankful for the part we play in caring for this part of His creation. We also learn many wonderful lessons about caring for people, created in His image.

Lord, help us steward the livestock, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.