"Cow Chase"

I guess the chase I sometimes miss,

Cow huntin’ in the brush,

Sometimes it took all mornin’,

Then they’d come out in a rush.

We often took the dogs along,

So as to quicker find,

And then you’d hear ‘em comin’,

Loop ready, better mind.

‘Cause when they hit the clearing,

You had to take your shot,

Else they might just escape you,

Best give it all you’ve got.

Not like they do in Idaho,

On a vast, wide-open plain,

But get him caught right quickly,

Or he’ll be gone again.

Knew nothin’ ‘bout a dally,

All ropes were hard and fast,

You roped and tried to bust him,

It’s a memory that lasts.

I’ve seen a thousand pounds of beef,

Come fightin’ up that rope,

And better if your horse is quick,

‘Cause he’s your only hope,

Unless you do as last resort,

What most would not admit,

And that is cut that rope in two,

It means you had to quit.

I only saw it one time,

It was to save a horse,

And if he hadn’t cut that twine,

He would’ve died a’course.

The worst were cross bred cattle,

Came from the sunshine state,

And, buddy, they would fight you,

And would very rarely wait.

And Dad would say go get ‘em,

My count is eight head short,

And if you didn’t find ‘em,

He’d have a loud retort.

God only knows how many,

We had to catch that way,

Tied ‘em to a tree somewhere,

And later on that day,

We’d go back with the trailer,

And jerk those big ‘uns in,

I’ve done it in the pitch black dark,

To get ‘em home again.

Catchin’ wild, old cross bred steers,

Some were five years old,

Those went to the stock yard,

Where they were quickly sold.

I sometimes miss that old cow hunt,

And the wildness of the chase,

Horse sweat in the thicket,

Time passed cannot erase.

I know some might be bored with this,

Old stories from my past,

But I can’t help but tell ‘em

With the old ways fadin’ fast.

“Where can go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7, NAS)

When I think of those old cow chases I cannot help but reflect on how God pursues us. The psalmist said that he could not escape from the Holy Spirit. No matter where he went, the presence of the Lord is there. This is always true for all of us. He is closer to us than the air we breathe. He has been with us since conception, and knew us even before then. When we surrender to Christ He comes to live within us, and wants to fill us to overflowing with His presence. If we cooperate we enjoy the benefits of His presence. If we run from Him, He remains faithful.

Lord, help us acknowledge and cooperate with Your presence, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.