the jealous young cowboy left his soul behind Rosie’s Cantina

One morning I woke with a song on my mind that was popular back in the early ‘60’s. I remember that because we drove across the country to California in a 1960 Impala Chevrolet that had no air conditioning, squashed in the back seat with my sister and brother in late August riding through the desert with the windows down and the radio disc jockeys playing the new Marty Robbins song over and over again! 

I have some favorite hymns like Great Is Thy Faithfulness, another favorite is Total Praise, but standing at the sink this morning with the Gaither Homecoming playing in the background, I was singing, “Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl…” a song I hadn’t heard in years, words I didn’t even realize that I knew! It was not my most shining moment standing there singing about a cowboy who shot another cowboy because he was jealous!

I have always said that when you lay down at night, since your spirit doesn’t ever sleep, you should tell your spirit, “I want to stand before the Throne of God all night and worship Him.” 

I think of the verse from Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” It gives me chills to think of the awesomeness of a complete silence in heaven for 30 minutes, of the angels and the beings saying “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

But this particular morning I’m thinking my spirit had obviously not been in the Throne room… since I woke up singing that less than spiritual song about jealousy!

OK, I admit this is a stretch but allow me, will you?

Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…

I had been thinking of all the doctrines going around claiming that Jesus is only one way among many others to God, or discounting Him altogether, and suddenly, through this very crude example I thought of God having given His all to us, being turned aside for the love of a “handsome young stranger”, representing the guilty excitement of people who have been raised knowing the truth of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, turning from the old paths to new directions.

It will not lead to a flower covered garden path, no way, turning from God to seek “secrets” or “mystic” relationships will only lead to the death the cowboy faced out behind Rosie’s Cantina, and an eternal life away from God.

If you’re seeking something new, look inside yourself to see what is missing in your life. 

You don’t seek after new if you are satisfied with the old.

Are you trying to rearrange the Word to make room for your lifestyle? 

Things the path of Jesus doesn’t allow. 

Be honest with yourself, don’t sell your soul’s salvation for an earthly problem.

I remember a story about a beautiful Celestial swan that came down to earth to tell the earthly swan all about his heavenly home. He described all the beauty of heaven, but the earthly swan just kept picking in the mud looking for snails. Finally, he looked up and asked, “Are there any snails there?” “No”, the Celestial Swan answered, “Then I’m not interested, I’m looking for snails”. Sadly, the heavenly swan took his flight, leaving his friend to search the mud for snails.

No one is put on earth to judge you, your only judge is God, so I am only suggesting that you make sure that while you are looking for snails you aren’t missing out on your heaven.

I hope you awaken excited every morning and that today you will not settle for snails!