"Learn It"

He didn’t see her coming,

Though we hollered to him quick,

Watch that cow, she’s crazy,

But guess the dust was thick,

And his hand was on the gate latch,

But she turned and got him hemmed,

And really worked him over,

You could say the wreck all stemmed,

From someone really trying,

Though they had a lot to learn,

And this time the hard way,

A cowboy dollar for to earn.

We knew twas bound to happen,

And the best hands always say,

When you’re workin’ cattle,

It can happen any day.

They’ll kick you, like my Daddy said,

Watch out, he’s a fool,

Get yourself a sortin’ flag,

Or some other tool,

So there’s something in your hand,

You can use to turn ‘em back,

And even if you’re not a-foot,

It wouldn’t hurt to pack,

May be an old time bull whip,

That you can pop and make ‘em go,

Like those cowboy crackers,

They could make em move you know.

I’ve seen cattle jump high fences,

Run over dog and man,

Tip a horse right over,

As if they had a plan,

To escape all reach and gather,

And get away for good,

It pays to just be ready,

And if you aren’t you should,

Get some help with know-how,

Who can ride, know how to rope,

‘Cause if you don’t you’re asking for,

A day without much hope.

And, yes, we love the cattle,

It’s our life and it’s our way,

But they can be a challenge,

On any given day.

And with ‘em come the lessons,

That illustrate to see,

So much that we are learning,

The Christian way to be.

Learning it from doing,

Using care and common sense,

When to move and when to wait,

And when to use that fence.

And listen to the old hands,

And what they have to say,

They can give you wisdom,

As you try to find the way,

To handle every challenge,

And try to do things right,

Get something accomplished,

And don’t get so uptight.

So cowboy up and cowboy on,

And when you get cow-kicked,

Get on up and get ‘er done,

Though you feel like you are licked.

The Good Lord has the final say,

We’ll work until we’re through,

And from each challenge we will learn,

Just like He wants us to.

“For you know when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:3-4, NLT)

Having our faith tested can be a very challenging and even stressful experience. That’s because the trial of trouble is inconvenient, uncomfortable, and designed to show us how we need to change. But the good news is that’s exactly what is happening. We are changing because we are learning how to endure and keep on going. In a sense, everything is learned “the hard way.” This is because the hardest experiences hold the biggest promise as a catalyst of transformation. To be “perfect and complete, needing nothing” is a worthy goal and is within our reach. But only possible for those who learn through the trials that come. Rather than try to faith them away, bear down and go through, in Jesus’ name.

Lord, help us learn through our trials, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.