Jerry’s Ranch

When Jerry was a little boy, he wanted to be a cowboy. He spent countless hours in front of the television, watching reruns of Gunsmoke and Bonanza. He just knew that someday he would live on a ranch, wear a big cowboy hat, and ride the range just like all of his cowboy heros. 

When he was seven years old, Jerry said, “Dad, I want to be a cowboy when I grow up. Will you help me be a cowboy?” 

“Sure son,” his dad said, smiling on his little cowpoke. 

As the years went by, Jerry grew up to be a fine young man. As you would expect, he outgrew his childhood fantasy about being a cowboy and turned instead to girls, sports, studying and preparing himself for a career in the business world.

One day Jimmy went to his father and again and said, “Dad, I want to go to college and get a good education. Will you help me?” 

His dad answered and said, “College? Son you can’t go to college. When you were seven, you said you wanted to be a cowboy. So I bought you a ranch in Texas with 50 head of cattle! There is no money for you to go to college. Besides, you need to take care of the ranch. It’s all yours!” 

“But Dad!” said Jerry, “I was  just a child when I said that! I didn’t know then what I know now. I don’t want a ranch. I want an education!”

Have your ever wondered why God doesn’t always answer your prayere just exactly the way you want Him to? Maybe it is because we are like Jerry. As God’s children, we should be thankful God doesn’t always answer your prayers the way we think He should. If He did, we might end up like Jerry - with a ranch in Texas instead of an education.

Larry Jackson-Minister