The Alternative

By Ken Hanson

The other day I saw an old cowboy,
Limping on down the street,
Although he wasn’t moving too fast,
At least he was still on his feet.

He appeared to be busted up pretty good,
With a bent leg and a built up shoe,
He obviously wasn’t about to give up,
Real cowboys never do.

It’s a sight that’s not that uncommon,
I’ve seen it many times before,
Farming and ranching can hurt you bad,
It’s a lifestyle with dangers galore.

A mean bull can hurt you by swinging his head,
He can stomp you and break any bone,
The brave men who ride them compete for points,
Even though the dangers are known.

Even your best horse can step in a hole,
And roll over on top of you,
There’s about a million ways to hurt your hands,
And cost you a finger or two.

A tractor can roll over and pin you down,
And do all kinds of harm,
A combine header has no sympathy,
When it clogs up and cuts off your arm.

Irrigation pipe can touch a power line,
And kill you in the blink of an eye,
Even though vigilant, something can get you,
No matter how hard you try.

Dave has a T-shirt he bought at Sturgis,
It’s one of his favorites by far,
It says, “If you don’t limp you ain’t squat”,
I think he found it in a bar.

He wears it with pride though he doesn’t limp much,
Some days it don’t even show,
He does pretty good to be missing a leg,
Something not many people know.

I’ve seen some people who are hurt or sick,
And lucky to be alive today,
“Well it sure beats the alternative”.
Is something I’ve heard them say.

The alternative they’re talking about,
Of course, is being dead,
They seem real happy to be alive,
At least that’s what they said.

I’m sure that being crippled or sick.
Is better than the death you fear,
Especially if you’re afraid of the devil,
You’re better off to stay right here.

But when you’re a born again Christian,
Everything changes for you,
Nobody wants to check out too early,
But it’s not the end if you do.

That bull or horse or tractor or combine,
Doesn’t mean it’s the end,
The fear of death is taken away,
When Jesus is your friend.

When you give your soul to Jesus,
Your life begins anew,
There’s a brand new body, healthy and strong,
Waiting in Heaven for you.

That sounds to me like a better alternative,
Than living your life in pain,
Struggling along, cursing your luck,
And using God’s name in vain.

Our time here on Earth is very short,
Compared to eternity, but then,
If you’ve told your children about Jesus,
In time, you’ll see them again.

So live your life the best you can,
Trust the Lord like a friend,
Be at peace knowing the salvation He offers,
Means that death isn’t the end.

But you already know that, it’s the reason you’re here,
Let’s tell the rest of mankind.
When you leave this church, tell the story of salvation,
To everyone you can find.