YEEHAW! RODEO THRILLS

What a night! It's rodeo time here in SA. It has been so long since I have been to a rodeo. We took two of our children, Clark and Alix, to the San Antonio Rodeo and had a great time. When we drove up, I couldn't believe all the activity! There were carnival rides everywhere! I haven't seen this type of activity since the South Texas State Fair in Beaumont when we were children. There were people everywhere outside the AT&T Center. There was the area reserved for food with, what else, but my VERY FAVORITE....funnel cake! What could be better! I was a kid all over again. Saw dust, carnival rides, funnel cake and large smelly animals. Man...the life!

We made our way into the indoor arena of the AT&T center and upstairs to the restaurant, of course. Funnel cake is about the only outdoor food product I will eat now unless I am in New York and want a street vendor's hot dog with sauerkraut - YUM! After chowing down on a buffet and delicious warm apple cobbler, we made our way to our seats, located behind the bull pens at one end of the arena. They were great seats and we were set to watch the first event - bronco horses. It really was fun. But mostly, I was waiting for my very favorite event - the bronco BULLS - Yeehaw!

As the events went along, I soon discovered I would prefer another event even more than the bronco bulls. Yes, this event was much more fun than having the bull buck a man off his back and then flip him in the air from behind onto his head and/or behind (yes, it did happen last night). This new event had fast riding, young men and women, terror, excitement, holding on for dear life and brought cheers from the entire crowd. I can't remember the name, but it involved young children (young men and women), ages 5-7 riding the backs of sheep and holding on for dear life for a certain amount of time. The sheep would be let out of the pen with the kid on their back and run for their lives. The crowds (including myself) LOVED IT! It was hysterical! The looks on these little kids faces were a scream! All I could think of was that could be Huston and Emery one day. Emery would probably win! Huston would be screaming, "Help, get me off this thing!" I was having so much fun watching I forgot to take a picture. Oh well...you'll just have to go to a rodeo and see for yourself.

Rodeos are really like life. There are times of thrill and cheers, happiness when things go great and you are on a high. And there are times of pure terror. When things go so wrong, you are holding on for dear life, or you are even hit from behind and flipped into the air and land flat on the ground, hurt and mangled. Pure terror or great joy and jubilation. You never know what it will be - it just comes out of the blue. That's where our Lord comes in. He's there to celebrate with you. Rejoice, and say well done, my good and faithful servant. He's also there when times are bad to place that arm around you to comfort your loss, heal your wounds, wipe away your tears, calm your fears and keep you under His wing and close to His heart. Yes, rodeos are fun and exciting to watch from afar, but they are also a symbol of what life can be like. And they are a reminder of our constant need for our heavenly Father to be close at hand.

So today, I am thankful for those rodeo experiences in life because they remind me to keep hanging on and stay dependent on my Lord. So to you our little rodeo cowboys and cowgirls....YEEHAW!