Fixing fence is the one of the hardest jobs on a ranch. I no longer live on a ranch, but I do know what hard work is. Fences are everyone's concern, but nowadays,the "hole" is always your neighbor's side not your own. It used to be that you would respect your neighbor and mend the fence together. If their cows got in your field, a simple phone call resolved the problem. You might even saddle up your own horse and help them gather them up. We need more people who are willing to roll their sleeves up and fix the fence regardless of who your neighbor is. There are people in this country who need to be reminded that a fence is like the way you should conduct your life. Your posts should be straight and neat. The wire needs to be stretched tight and your gate might be closed, but can still be easily opened. And most of all, we can all saddle up together and ride the range, it won't matter if you have an Appaloosa, Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. The cows still have to be gathered, fences have to be fixed, and the range is a wide open space of opportunity for us all.

An Invitation to The Picnic

Posted Thursday, October 10, 2013, at 5:55 PM

Uncle Robert with his granddaughter Amber.

Our Uncle Robert passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Once again, I am reminded on how important it is to keep our loved ones close to our hearts.

Thanksgiving Dinner was one of the biggest events of our young lives. Makeshift tables were made in Grandma and Grandpa Roesberry's Dining and Living Room. There was a huge turkey; all the trimmings, desserts and side dishes of every kind.

Our summers were filled with visits from aunts and uncles, and cousins. And again, we celebrated birthdays; extended visits with friends and relatives combined.

As our families grew, those events became more like a rare reunion planned a year in advance. A person has a tendency to take for granted that everyone will live forever, when you are in your twenties or thirties.

I believe that even though we miss our loved ones' dear faces and smiles; they are enjoying a reunion of a different kind. They have the company of God and receive His Generous Love and Care instead of plates of fried chicken and potato salad.

Today, I am envisioning a huge picnic waiting for me on the other side. I will feel great joy as my loved ones wrap their arms around me and we walk together toward the greatest picnic ever.

The shock of illness and death can sometime overshadow the promises of our loved one's personal journey to the other side. That ache of longing and pain never quite leaves us.

But our belief in God and His Tender Care will be like a balm upon our wounded hearts.

There are no rules regarding attendance to the reunion except that you must leave all the baggage of your mortal life behind. No one wants to have ants or other pests at the picnic table!

Like any picnic, there has to be some preparation. We know what we have been required to do because our invitations have been clearly written out beforehand. We can take only our best selves so that our reunion will be sweet and joyful.

Some of us will arrive a little quicker than originally planned and others will be fashionably late. It doesn't matter as long as you hear the dinner bell when it rings for you.

I am feeling a little sad today, not for myself, but for all of my Uncle Robert's loved ones. I pray that God will shower them with comfort and blessings in the coming days.

Comments

View 2 comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

The thing about that huge picnic on the 'other side', is that there will be one every day.....that is something to look forward to.

Yes, I'll send out prayers to your family...and to you also Bonnie...in these sad days. It's never easy losing a loved one, and the older we get, the more we need to cherish eac and every day, and hold close the ones we can.

Jessie

-- Posted by jessiemiller on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 6:17 PM
thank you I did feel the impact after talking with my cousin. I can remember those raw days of loss.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 6:48 PM

Respond to this blog

Posting a comment requires free registration:

If you already have an account, follow this link to login
Otherwise, follow this link to register