The Cracked Acorn: Life

Life got you down. Bills are piling up! The car should be donated to charity. The children need braces. The home of your dreams has become your all the time fix-it nightmare. The vacation to Aruba is a no no!! Well, help is on the way. In 8 seconds you can have maybe $50 thousand to take home.

To get this paycheck you have to join a small group of dedicated individuals who live for these 8 seconds; they are part of the rodeo circuit. When the moment arrives, they throw their legs over a ton of ground round and hang tight till the judges rule it’s over, then they try to dismount and avoid being gored or stomped. If needs be the clowns rush over and let the daily Brahma bull chase them. Brahma bulls are bred to be just plain mean and the worst tempered ones are where the biggest prize money is. Names can be Air Wolfe, Predator, Freight Train, Chili Pepper, Second Chance, Wicked Charlie, Little Yellow Jacket, Moody Blues, Mr. Cooper, Bad Company, Phantom, Poker-faced, Ring of Fear, Wise Guy and Desperado- to name a few.

Today, for your first ride, you have drawn Baby Luv. He’s in the chute. You have the proper western clothes and climb to the top rail. Don’t let those big brown eyes and long eyelashes fool you. Baby lives to hurt you. You slide over to grab the rope around his girth. you grasp the rope with your one gloved hand. Baby rolls side to side trying to bust one of your legs. You eye the chute boy and nod that it’s time. The gate flies open. Baby Luv ignites and he hops like a frog and begins to buck and kick to the limits of heaven. The longest 8 seconds of your life has turned into a carnival Devil ride. Baby knows how to break the rules and before you can plan the next move; he humps, jumps and wriggles left to left. You thought it would be right to left. The good news is that they don’t have to carry you out of the arena. Wired jaws and riders that can’t walk quite straight are a common sight.

Why do these people choose to live their lives at high risk? Maybe they understand that the most important things in life are not things but choose to be in the life or die lane; quitters never win and winners never quit! The high adrenaline group never considers that there is an ‘if’ in the word life. To overcome the worst ride seems to be the ultimate goal at least for the people that ride the rodeo bulls.

Life can be a difficult and rough (ride) journey. Paul knew this and thought of the ultimate prize. “No mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord.” (I Corinthians 2:9)