"Old Pony"

Said that old pony was sorta stiff,

Has seen his better days,

But as they talked I caught a whiff,

Of something in the phrase,

That smelled a lot like giving up,

On something that had worth,

Too soon he wouldn’t make the cut,

No chance for second birth.

But he really did look good to me,

I hauled the old boy home,

Sixteen hands of horse to see,

Stout muscle and strong bone.

I guess he left his sore behind,

‘Cause when I shake his feed,

He’s like a young horse glad to find,

That runs and bucks with speed.

And gentle as the day is long,

He’ll side pass to the gate,

Sorrel with blaze, four stockings strong,

With cattle never late.

And, yes, I need a little step,

To toe that stirrup high,

But he still has his go and pep,

With no end to his try.

And I find here a lesson true,

About some I have known,

Told by those who never knew,

That said their time was flown,

And that they were no longer fit,

To do what God had planned,

They’d be better off to quit,

Than take a brand new stand.

But no matter what has gone before,

The Lord ain’t finished yet,

He still closes, opens doors,

With blessings there to get.

So don’t count out that strong, old horse,

He’s better than you think,

With good care and feed, of course,

He’ll be useful in a wink.

Give him a chance and you will see,

What blessings are in store,

And only what God says will be,

It ain’t over, there’s much more.

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought o fChrist merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17, NLT)

How we evaluate others is important! The point Paul makes here is that when we recognize and embrace who Jesus is, He changes how we view others. People we might not otherwise care about become valuable to us because Jesus died for them and shows us their worth. How can we not love someone for whom He died? Furthermore, those who receive Jesus receive a whole new life, no matter what has gone before. This is possible and within reach during the entire duration of one’s earthly life. When they die, the opportunity for saving grace passes. But as long as there is a heartbeat there is hope! We can never devalue them or write them off. They are potentially brothers and sisters in Christ.

Lord, help us to see others they way You see them, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Owen, cowhorsegallery.com, used by permission. Thanks, and God bless.