"Respect"

When I was young and ignorant,

Thought my Dad was cattle king,

Handled livestock by the thousands,

And knew most everything.

We’d be buying country cattle,

From some old man with twenty head,

Could be he was dispersing,

‘Cause he knew he’d soon be dead.

Or maybe had a small place,

Purt near run plumb out of grass,

Had to sell his heifers,

To make their business last.

Sometimes it seemed so sad to me,

With arrogance mixed in,

‘Cause most were not big ranchers,

Like my Daddy and his kin.

In my childish condescension,

I looked down on some of them,

Don’t think my Daddy did it,

So it weren’t because of him.

Perhaps my insecurity,

Or maybe just my pride,

But I was wrong admittedly,

And in you I’ll confide,

Those old men were cattlemen,

Who knew their game so well,

Gave it all their heart and soul,

And I’ll their story tell.

Theirs were not big outfits,

But they knew their stock and graze,

So many fill my memory,

From those old tradin’ days.

And now I’m one of those old guys,

With an outfit acres small,

And a handful set of heifers,

With an Angus bull for all.

More respect I’ll never have,

Than for those who work this way,

How many cows won’t matter,

But that you husband them each day.

“When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)

Paul advises we should have the same attifude as Jesus, who humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Humility triggers grace that enables us to obey the Lord in all that He asks us to do. Ours becomes the life of obedience, and we are always lead to the cross. When we take up our cross it means that we die to ourselves everyday. It’s a denouncement of our own egotism and narcissism, and the enthronement of Jesus in a personal, radical way. Have this attitude, in Jesus’ name.

Lord, teach us humility, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mikel Donahue, used by permission. Thanks, Mikel, and God bless you.