The Cowboy.This 8 year-old cow-boy longs to get in the ring and take his try at one of those dangerous bulls. All his life he's loved cowboy hats and chaps and watching bull riding! It must be the thrill of climbing on the back of something dangerous and living to tell about it! Or maybe it's the crowd of people applauding with their stopped breath as they wait to see if this is gonna be the one that has his courage stamped into the arena dirt by the seemingly uncaring hoof of a bovine.
It never affected me so much as a father when it came to bull riding because I figured that by the time this little boy would grow up and be able to drive himself to an event he would have come to his senses. However now a year and a half later his bull has turned into a tank. Literally he has traded his chaps in for camo's and is now eager to take on rifle wielding enemies instead of mere cattle trying to escape the unwanted rider. I guess this is all an important season of childhood and I don't worry.
It is interesting though how his own longing for danger and adventure fan into flame the latent desires in my own heart for something more than the everyday routine. I guess it's no surprise then that I quit my salary job and plan to take my family to Colorado in search of adventure and dreams and a different more healthy lifestyle for us all! This could all seem to be no big deal unless you consider I have no college degree and spattered experience in several unrelated fields from trades to ministry. Really the only reason I can honestly point to is the illogical, intangible faith in an invisible God. I know that this quickly paints me into the corner of idiot or insane by the measurements of some, but I will gladly reside there waiting for the loose ends of intuition to come together someday. So here we go! Our chance to climb on the back of that crooked nose bull and stare down the rifles pointed our way and say 'yee haw' as we leave the realm of bleacher ballast spectators to fully embrace the thorough thrill and extreme experience of living and trusting in a loving God who has revealed himself in deep and quiet but profound ways.
