Strong Enough To Bend

There's a tree out in the backyard
That never has been broken by the wind
And the reason its still standing
It was strong enough to bend

I was out doing some yard work today and was paying particular attention to my trees. I have some very large trees in my yard, and they really need to be trimmed. Some still have broken branches and debris hanging from hurricane Ike last year and need to be cleaned out. They also have branches that are not producing anything and are just a burden to the tree that need to be pruned back. It is important to keep them groomed and nourished so that they will continue to grow healthy to withstand another storm.

Life is the same way. We have to keep our bodies strong and healthy to withstand life's storms. It is important to remove the debris, so to speak, that can keep us from growing in the Word, and focus on the spiritual nourishment that we need. We also from time to time need to prune back the relationships that keep us from bearing fruit.

Like trees, if our roots are firmly planted in good soil, we will have the ability to grow strong enough to bend when life throws a storm our way.

Like a tree out in the backyard
That never has been broken by the wind
Our love will last forever
If we're strong enough to bend

Swaying with the wind till the skies turn blue is... on this cowboys mind.



(Tanya Tucker: Strong Enough To Bend)

Who Can It Be Now

Every since I was a teenager, two things have been knocking at my door. I heard this old 80's song the other day and it got me thinking about it...

Who can it be knocking at my door?
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more.
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right.
All I wish is to be alone;
Stay away, don't you invade my home.
Best off if you hang outside,
Don't come in - I'll only run and hide.
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?

The first knock has always been from the devil. He tries to use temptation to lure me away from my Christianity. I think we all deal with this in one way or another. The devil seems to know what our weaknesses are and uses that against us. We miss out on so many blessings when we open the door and let him in.

Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?

The second knock comes from opportunity. Many times opportunity knocks on our door and we fail to recognize it. This is partly because it is usually in the form of a temporary failure or a setback. There is the old saying, "When God closes a door, he opens a window." There is so much truth in this, but sadly, we give up too easily. We tend to accept the failure and walk away, when we should be looking for the opportunity it brings.

The two knocks will always be at my door. The one I should ignore, and the one I should accept. The difficulty is differentiating between the two.

Is it the man come to take me away?
Why do they follow me?
It's not the future that I can see,
It's just my fantasy
Oh...Who can it be now?

Trying to graduate from the school of hard knocks is... on this cowboys mind



(Men At Work: Who Can It Be Now)

Standing Knee Deep In A River

So the sidewalk is crowded:
The city goes by.
And I rush through another day,
And a world full of strangers,
Turn their eyes to me,
But I just look the other way

I think from time to time we all feel lost and in a world full of strangers. I know at times I do. I have found though when I feel lost, is when my faith is not at its strongest. This brings up a good question. Just what is faith? We are always told to "have faith" or "keep the faith". Why do we always tell people who are at life's lowest to "have faith"?

The author Napoleon Hill describes it like this...
"Faith is the eternal elixir which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought. Faith is the element, the chemical which, when mixed with prayer, gives one direct communication with Infinite Intelligence."

I believe many religions preach on faith, but may not tell people how to actually have faith.

They roll by just like water,
And I guess we never learn.
Go through life parched and empty,
Standin' knee deep in a river and dyin' of thirst.

If you have faith that something will happen, you must live your life as if it already has. Wishing it will is not faith. Faith is not a wish or a request, it is a state of mind. When your mind is convinced that it will occur, only then are you living in faith.

Matthew 17:20
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Faith is a powerful thing. However, I don't think we are fully aware just how to use it. Many believe their prayers go unanswered and don't know why. They feel thirsty, but fail to realize that they are standing in a river. Could it be because they don't truly understand how to have faith?

They roll by just like water,
And I guess we never learn.
Go through life parched and empty,
Standin' knee deep in a river and dyin' of thirst.

Moving a mountain is... on this cowboys mind.


(Joe Cocker: Standing Knee Deep In A River)