Cowboy Take Me Away (Lisa)

I like to look for Jesus in unexpected places. I think to myself, if I can find him here, maybe I’ll find him, unexpectedly, in not-so-perfect me. On my daily walks, I listen for Jesus in music, not Christian music but POP music. With my first step I say, Jesus I’m listening and set out, earbuds in, volume up loud, walking briskly to the beat in my neighborhood. If I listen prayerfully, the Holy Spirit helps me hear a sweet message that can literally bring me to tears. When I am anxious with my own health this kind of praying truly helps me!

A few years back now, I was filled with worry about a big cancer scare inside of me. As I walked along searching for God, up popped the song Cowboy Take Me Away by the Dixie Chicks and it brought me to my conversational prayer with Jesus. God is so good. He lays out an infinite number of unexpected avenues to Him… Below are the lyrics alongside the meaning I gleaned from it for my life in that moment. I hope you know the melody and can sing / pray along with me!

Happy Trails! Lisa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdkIJm65ytM

Hover mouse over the purple link. Hold CNTRL button down and right click on your mouse to hear the song play.

Dixie Chicks – Cowboy Take Me Away

(Lyrics – and the meaning I gleaned from it for my life in that moment)

I said, I wanna touch the earth – I want to live here and now. Please let me live. I wanna break it in my hands – I want to be present, grateful, realizing what I’ve got, this earth, this life I wanna grow something wild and unruly – like a radical love that does not judge, a Jesus kind of love I wanna sleep on the hard ground – Sleep, rest while allowing the solid things in my life to ground me. In the comfort of your arms – Jesus’ arms On a pillow of blue bonnets In a blanket made of stars Oh, it sounds good to me – This blissful night sleep, heaven sent with no anxiety or racing thoughts

I said, cowboy take me away – My cowboy is Jesus… (the thought made me smile, giggle with joy even!) Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue – help me see this challenge as one more wild adventure. Set me free, oh, I pray – free of fears… Closer to heaven above and closer to you Closer to you

I wanna walk and not run – with confidence, assuredly forward not run from fear I wanna skip and not fall – with the Joy of Jesus and not trip, fall, fail Him, lose my way I wanna look at the horizon– look to my future

And not see a building standing tall- and not see any obstruction to my view of YOU. YOU are my horizon. I wanna be the only one for miles and miles –feel that perfect all-consuming love YOU have for me. Except for maybe you and your simple smile – Seeing the Face of Jesus Oh, it sounds good to me Yes, it sounds so good to me

Cowboy take me away – My cowboy is Jesus… Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue Set me free, oh, I pray Closer to you…