Out Our Way: Turn around, dogie! - Isaiah 1:18-20

Out our way, hunting strays goes with the trade. Most calves stick close to Mama and the herd, but now and again a stray "dogie" wanders off and gets lost. This is especially true with open range cattle that populate the Beaver Creek area for a time each year.  

I was taking "Doc" to the Dumas homestead up in the Bear Paws which borders the Beaver Creek and the Rocky Boy's Indian/Chippewa Cree reservation. Various crews were working cattle and getting them out of the back country and down to the sorting pens and rigs off the main road in the campground. They found numerous units in the campgrounds and along the creek beds, but some had strayed even further. Seeing me in my pickup hauling Doc in my horse trailer, some folks rode up and asked me to keep a look out for any strays up the road, and to push them in the right direction so their crew could eventually pick them up.

Well, the homestead was a few miles farther up the road, but sure enough, when I got there and unloaded Doc, there were two pairs wandering in the wooded area nearby heading away from the herd and the round up. So Doc and I saddled up and went to cut them off, Ha! Easier said than done! They were easily spooked - as open range cattle often are - and started running when they saw Doc and me coming. Now I admit I am a pretty lousy cowhand, but, fortunately Doc was a pretty fair cow pony, and he knew not to run or go straight towards them, but to trot with an "indifferent" attitude to the side and go around them.

Once behind them, we were able to turn around to face and slowly walk straight at them. They stopped running the wrong way and turned back in the direction of the road and the main herd. Later the crew came by, saw them nearby, and herded them down the gathering and loading zone. No big deal, but I shudder to think what would have happened if they had continued their journey away from the rest of the herd and eventually the safety of their home pasture where the rigs were taking them. The grazing gets poor in that area come winter and there are still mountain lions roaming those hills.  

My little "adventure" actually helps illustrate two common words one hears in religious circles that a good many agnostics and atheists misunderstand or deliberately try to twist to fit their anti-religion agenda. The two words are "sin" and "repent." As few folks these days are familiar with either original Hebrew or Greek in which the Scriptures are written, our translations sometimes fail to convey the actual meaning. While the ignorant or deliberate interpretation of the two words are often labeled "judgemental" or "intolerant," once you know what the words actually mean, you realize how mistaken those views actually are.

"Sin" in both the Greek and Hebrew simply means basically to go in the wrong direction. It is the word one would use to help the traveler who wants to go from Denver to LA but is driving toward New York, 

"Repent" in both the Hebrew and Greek simply basically means "to turn around."  

Down in the valley where the pens and rigs were parked, the ranchers were moving the open range cattle off the now sparse rangeland to the lush and ungrazed pastures that had been allowed to be replenished. The "sinful" strays Doc and I found were going "the wrong way" - heading toward starvation, freezing, and possible attack by hungry predators. We caused them to "repent" - i.e. "turn around" - and head away from the hunger, freezing and big cats and to the safety, warmth, and abundance of the lowland pastures that were waiting for them. 

There is a reason the Lord is called "the good shepherd" - or, out our way, maybe "the good cowhand." Isaiah understood and rejoiced in God's guidance. May we do the same.

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Brother John

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The Rev. John Bruington is the retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He now lives in Colorado, but continues to write "Out Our Way." He can be reached for comment or dialogue at [email protected].