“Miles and Years”

Thought for just a minute,

I’d go back home to see,

It’s not that I’m still in it,

But a childhood memory.

Of days gone by and sunshine,

I learned the cowboy way,

The old barn was in ruins

A long gone yesterday.

On old Todd Road they raised me,

In Bama’s ranching south,

Winds of change amazed me,

And made me shut my mouth.

But still my old blood country,

There with all my kin,

Thoughts came fast and sundry,

Of all that was back then.

I thought of dogs and cattle,

And horses that we rode,

I thought of every battle,

When some bronc got us throwed.

I thought of my old daddy,

And the rush that he was in,

And no, not one bit sadly,

Tradin’ cattle was no sin.

So many miles and decades,

The place was all grown up,

Imagined if we’d all stayed,

How different this life’s cup.

The what if’s and if only’s,

Don’t matter much to me,

And I don’t have the lonelies,

For the good old days you see.

I went and saw and left again,

And now I’m on my way,

Said good-bye to what was then,

And welcome God’s new day.

“God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past…” (Ecclesiastes 5:20, NLT)

Are we busy enjoying life or just busy? Or are we busy just trying to endure and overcome life? No, not all of life is enjoyable, but this verse and others like it tell us God wants to grace us with abundant life. He really does! But do we really believe it? Even those who say yes entertain at times the sneaking suspicion that God really is more in the guilting than gifting business. God gives work. Work thankfully. God gives wealth. Enjoy it faithfully. God gives us our station in life. Accept and celebrate it decisively. If we do we will find out our lives have changed for the better. We actually learn to enjoy life. And that’s exactly what God wants.

Lord, help us enjoy and celebrate the life You have given us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mikel Donahue, mikeldonahue.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mikel, and God bless you.