"Cowboy Life"

The way of life called cowboy,

Means a lot to me,

Back to my upbringing,

And the man I’ve come to be.

A-horseback tending cattle,

Early at the gate,

Wakened by a driver,

To load his truck up late.

Doctoring sick yearlings,

Kicking out the hay,

Sweatin’ in the summer,

Freeze on a winter’s day.

Patched so many fences,

Stretched a hundred miles of wire,

Jumped off ten dozen tractors,

Changed a thousand tires.

Learned that old work ethic,

And if you are awake,

You sure should be productive,

Don’t take much of a break.

Better to eat your dinner,

With the reins still in one hand,

Than let some steer get clean away,

And have to search more land.

It’s branding smoke and ear tags,

And keeping a sharp knife,

To fill the pan with calf fries,

Or might just save your life.

There I learned the right from wrong,

And always say what’s true,

And people can’t hear what you say,

‘Less they see the work you do.

Don’t trust everybody,

‘Cause some will lead you wrong,

Stay close to the Lord your God,

And let Him keep you strong.

Take special care of horses,

They help you get it done,

Remember to be careful,

With a cold-backed son of a gun..

Remember that the cowboy way,

Is more than what folks see,

The habit of the way you are,

True to God and country be.

Hats off to a way of life,

Called the cowboy way,

Thank God we still have it,

Down to this very day.

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands…” (1 Thess. 4:11, NLT)

The cowboy way reflects the ethic taught in scripture. No matter our trade or career, being focused on excellence in our work is a godly aspiration. So much of our time is spent with our employment, God calls us to use this part of our lives to glorify Him. Can people tell by the way we behave on the job that we belong to Jesus? It’s a good question to ask. We are the ones who are on time, keep a good attitude, do more than is required and lead the way by example. We make people glad that they hired us, or glad that they came to work for us. It’s part of being the salt and light Jesus wants us to be.

Lord, help us embrace the best of the cowboy way, in Jesus’ name.

Branding, 2019.