Out Our Way: Fresh grazing

Psalm 23

Out our way, there are several roundups. The ones for branding and tagging and such, of course, but there are also the ones each fall and spring when it's time to move to fresh grazing.   

Riding drag and pushing the herd, I didn't see much but dust and the rear end of the herd. Charlie rode point and got the big view, and occasionally, if the herd was sizable, a few others rode swing, watching for strays taking off that had to be herded back. But even from my post, it was obvious the pasture was worn out. The occasional reservoir was nearly dry and it was mostly yellowed weeds and dried cactus left.   

But then we reached the gate to the new pasture that had been untouched all year and the watering holes that were full and deep. The cow/calf units picked up the pace and even the lazy "good old boys club" (the bulls who bunched together after breeding season) started trotting toward the new grazing grounds.  

I know there were memories left behind in the old pasturelands, familiar trails and favorite places to just stop and enjoy. But there were new places ahead, new trails to explore and new enjoyments to be had. Some things would be missed, but new adventures awaited. And so, Charlie opened the gate and the herd eagerly moved forward.  

As the new year comes, we move from old pastures to new, and there will be things we will miss as the old year fades and the new one begins. The gate is shut after we pass through, but better to move forward than to simply stay behind. As the Psalmist wrote about moving to "green pastures and still waters," he is talking about God moving us forward out of the past and into the future. An appropriate text to celebrate the new year, but here is something else that I just noticed.

The Lord is not just our Shepherd, but all the shepherds. Or, in our vernacular, all the hands at the roundup. God is riding point - guiding us in the Way. God is also riding swing - seeking out the strays and keeping us in the Way. And yes, God is also riding drag - encouraging us to keep moving, not lose hope, or quit.

Another section of the 23rd Psalm speaks of "thy rod and staff that comfort me." In cowboy lingo, think lariat and Winchester. In the old days, when wolves, bears and lions were common, your wrangler went armed. Like the shepherd David, the wrangler faced down bears, lions and wolves. (Have you ever seen a grizzly in the wild? Anyone who could stand against one of those guys wouldn't find Goliath that big a deal). The Psalmist tells us the Lord is "carrying" and if any Enemy is lying in ambush ahead, he will regret it if he seeks to mess with the Lord's herd.   

A new year has come. The gate to the new pasture is opened. The Lord rides before us - He rides beside us - He rides behind us. I don't know what 2024 holds, but I know Who is riding with me and guiding me forward. I don't know what the new year holds, but I know it doesn't look so good for Lucifer.  

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].