Maybe God Wears A Cowboy Hat


By Phil Scovell




     I rode horses a great deal as a kid growing up in Iowa.
Most summer weekends I spent Saturdays at a friend's home just
outside of Des Moines and we spent most of the day either fishing
in the creek or on the back of a horse.  Additionally, my father
was a country preacher.  He often drove 50 and 60 miles into
farming communities on Sundays and ministered in churches too
small to afford a full time pastor.  His family, of course,
generally went along and since these were mostly farming
communities, there were lots of horses to ride.  I didn't care if
there was a saddle or I rode bareback; I just loved being on a
horse.  In light of all of this horseback riding, I never
considered myself a cowboy.  I especially hated wearing hats and
never did wear them.

     When I moved to Colorado, my first job was standing on my
feet all day.  By evening, I could hardly walk.  My employer kept
telling me, "Buy cowboy boots."  I had no interest in cowboy boots
whatsoever and I told him so.  He said, "So, then, let your feet
hurt."

     One day, in total agony, I said to my boss, "Would you please
go with me after work and help me pick out boots?  I know nothing
about them."  He did so.  I wore my new boots for a couple of days
and then went back to shoes.  I couldn't even walk down a flight
of stairs with my boots on without tripping and falling half way
down the steps.  I was never going to get used to wearing boots
and I knew it.

     Two weeks later, I was complaining to my boss one day about
how terrible my feet hurt.  He told me it was my own fault for
not wearing the cowboy boots.  I explained I couldn't even walk in
them and didn't think I could get used to them.  He said, "Look.
Put the boots on and wear them until you get over the
psychological hang up you have about wearing them.  Don't give
up."  I took his advice simply due to the pain my feet were
suffering.  Two weeks went by and I was 100 percent sold on
wearing cowboy boots.  It is all I have worn for well over thirty
years now.

     Recently, I was in need of some new clothes.  I had been
putting off buying new cowboy boots for over three years because
boots aren't cheap even if they do last many years beyond any
type of shoes.  So, I was going to buy some new clothes and new
boots and my mind was made up.

     The day before my purchase, I was thinking about going out
and buying the clothes.  I hate shopping and especially for
clothes but it had to be done.  As I considered what I needed and
what I was going to buy and how much I would spend on boots, I
heard a small voice say, "Buy a hat."

     I immediately said, "What?  I hate all hats," and waited for
the Holy Spirit to continue.  He said nothing.  I still waited.
He still didn't continue.

     Unfortunately, I knew He was referring to a cowboy hat.
Finally I said, "Lord, why do you want me to buy a hat?"  I was
almost in tears at the thought of wearing a stupid cowboy hat.  As
a blind person, hats always bothered my ability to hear well
omnidirectionally and I just didn't like hats.  I didn't even like
them, nor did I wear them, when I could see.

     Finally, as I waited, the Lord said, "Because you are
different now."

     "Hold the phone there, Lord!  What in the world does that
have to do with buying, and wearing I might add, a dumb cowboy
hat?  I'm not even a cowboy.  I don't own a horse.  The last time
I rode a horse, my bottom hurt for a week.  I'm not a cowboy!  I
couldn't toss a rope if my life depended upon it."

     All these things could have easily come to mind and I was
tempted to let them come tumbling out in rebuttal but due to prior
experience with such arguments with God, I refrained.  Why?
Because I am learning to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
I knew exactly what He meant when He said, "Because you are
different now."  The hat isn't important; my obedience to His Word
is.  In other words, it was a test to see if I would obey.

     You should have seen my youngest son and my wife when I said,
after picking out the black cowboy boots I wanted, "Now I want to
go look at the hats."  They nearly left me standing alone in the
store.  My wife even said more than once, "Why are you buying a
cowboy hat?"  I kept saying the same thing; "I don't know."  That
wasn't true, of course, because I knew exactly why I was buying a
hundred dollar cowboy hat; because Jesus told me to.  Admitting
that publicly, however, was a little difficult.

     So now, every time I leave my house, I am wearing a nice
black cowboy hat.  People laugh and say, "I can't believe what I
am seeing."  I just smile and climb in their car just like I have
always worn a cowboy hat and boots.  No, I tell very few people
why I wear a cowboy hat because, like you, they wouldn't believe
me if I told them.  So I just wear my hat and every time I do, it
puts a smile on my face, joy in my heart, and praise to my God for
caring about me so much, He even tells me what to wear.  It is
like a rancher friend of mind has always said, "God makes a pretty
good cowboy."  I'm beginning to believe, God might also wear a
cowboy hat.  Go ahead and laugh all you want but wait until it
happens to you some day.  Then it will be my turn to chuckle.


I Flew Kites With Jesus
www.SafePlaceFellowship.com