The Best Advice That I've Ever Heard

By Ken Hanson


I’m constantly amazed at the wisdom displayed,
By people who are older than me.
They’ve been through it all, survived every fall,
Quite possibly more than I’ll ever see.

But the wisest words that I’ve ever heard,
Came from a man I adored.
A crusty old cowboy that called himself Roy,
He told me, “Put your trust in The Lord”.

Now Roy is a rodeo cowboy,
He followed the circuit for most of his life.
This friend of my fathers, somewhat of a loner,
Kept to himself, never taking a wife.

But he had a long-term relationship,
Much longer than anyone I’d ever seen,
With the man upstairs, and he helped me too,
Follow the path since I was a teen.

I’ve seen ol’ Roy survive some things,
That surely would have killed other men.
Or at least those who think they can go it alone,
Or those already consumed by their sin.

But through it all he survived every fall,
When he told me his secret, it made sense of course.
He said, “I never ride alone, there’s room for two,
When riding on the back of a bull or a horse.”

“You see, I know The Lord watches out for me,
He’s there to cushion my every fall.
When you give your life to Him and follow the path,
No matter what happens, He’ll get you through it all.”

I know that Roy spoke the truth that day,
Cause’ some things I’ve seen should’ve killed him dead.
I’ve seen him bucked off of the back of a horse,
Fly through the air and land on his head.

I’ve seen him bitten and kicked and thrown,
And stomped and dragged and once even gored.
I asked him, “Roy, how come you’re not dead?”
He said, “I put my trust in The Lord.”

“Do you know the story about Footprints in the Sand?”
He asked me, I said, “I sure do.”
“If you look real close you can see those same footprints,
In the dirt of an arena floor too.”

He told me that story while sitting in the chute,
On top of the meanest bull I’d ever seen.
And when the gate opened, I watched in amazement,
That rodeo cowboy rode eight seconds clean.

Then he flew through the air and landed hard,
After he was finally thrown.
I thought that I saw dirt kicked up in two places,
Looked like he wasn’t riding alone.

One evening we were sitting around drinking coffee,
I watched as he stood to refill his cup,
And his face showed the pain, it seems that last ride,
Had twisted his back and now he’s stove up.

I said, “Roy, why do you do this,
Do you really enjoy living in pain?”
He said, “This is the life that I choose,
I’ll continue as long as I’ve the will to sustain.”

He said, “Life’s all about the choices we make,
And the most important choice you’ll ever face,
Is which way you’re going when your life here is over,
And you find yourself about to leave this place.”

“The salvation offered by Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Can only be found when you surrender to His Word.”
That’s what Roy said, and I firmly believe,
That’s the best advice that I’ve ever heard.

Now Roy’s hard life has taken its toll,
He’s not quite as spry as he used to be.
But he never looks back, he always looks forward,
To his next life, when this old hard world sets him free.

Now one of these days his time will be up,
And the white light he’ll head toward.
But I’ll meet him again, I know that I will,
You see, I put my trust in The Lord.