Billy Coffey
Billy Coffey

To Stand and Sing

March 3, 2009  

We had a cowboy at church last Sunday. Four rows up and two rows over from me. Tall and slender, wearing faded blue jeans and a crisp, striped shirt. His mustache resembled the sort that one would grow while stranded on a desert island, and his weathered Stetson sat in the chair next to him.

I’d never seen him before, though that didn’t necessarily mean he was a visitor. Our church is a pretty big one, and our congregation is generally in the hundreds. Good in a way, not so good in others.

The service began with the obligatory hymn and prayer, after which the choir took its place and the minister of music took the microphone.

“I know there are a lot of people here who are struggling financially in these times,” she said. “It’s easy to feel as though God has somehow abandoned you, and it’s hard to reach out to someone for help. So as we sing these next few songs, I’d like to ask that anyone who is being burdened by life take a seat and pray. If you’re around someone who sits, take a moment to place a hand upon them. Pray with them and for them. Let them know they’re not alone.”

A few sat. Many more wanted to, I think, but didn’t. Pride can be a stubborn thing, even in church.

The cowboy, I noticed, sat halfway through the first verse. It was a sudden motion, one not done with much reservation, as if the hidden weight of his life refused to let him stand any longer. He was still for a moment, bent over as if something on the back of the chair in front of him demanded his attention.

Then he buried his face in his hands and wept.

Cowboys didn’t cry. I had known that since childhood. There was a poster thumbtacked to my bedroom wall that had the Cowboy Code on it. Cowboys never cry was number four, right after cowboys always eat their supper.

Yet there he was, using his calloused hands to wipe his fragile tears. His mouth moved slowly, almost imperceptibly, as he uttered his prayer. The concerned hands of his neighbors were gently placed on his back one by one as the choir continued to sing.

As the second verse began, the cowboy did something quite unexpected. He stood. Not slowly as if beaten, but purposefully with intent. He straightened his shirt, wiped his tears one more time, and took a deep breath.

And then he sang.

Not merely with lungs and voice, but with faith and hope. He sang words of God’s love and provision, of His undying devotion and saving grace. It was an act of protest against the decaying affect of his circumstances and the doubt they caused.

He sang. And there was prayer in his melody.

We think of courage as a virtue reserved for only a select few. Soldiers who defend us. Policemen who protect us. Firemen who rescue us. And while their actions are indeed courageous, I’d dare say they are no more so than the courage displayed by a cowboy in a church pew.

Because there are times when the simple act of facing the day takes courage. When trials and disappointments pin us down and dare us to resist and we are faced with this choice: submit or overcome.

What will we do when confronted by loss, whether of dreams or jobs or loved ones? When the winters of our lives blow and howl, will we surrender to its rages or seek shelter in warmth of God?

Will we cover our own wounds and let them fester, or will we let Christ bind them?

Will we sit and mourn, or will we stand and sing?

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Filed under: Christianity, doubt, living, trials
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Comments

  • Annie

    That is one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband, cause he cried and continues to cry at inspirational movies. He used to tease me saying he had a cold! Now, he openly cries and then with a little chuckle comments, ‘Oh that was so sad.’ And yet he faces challenges with a sense of humor. Another reason I love him, he makes me laugh. :) Again, a wonderful post…

  • Jennifer

    I want to stand and sing! Great post, Billy, and hey: So glad your comment option is back.

  • sharilyn

    words spoken directly to my heart tonight, billy… “Will we cover our own wounds and let them fester, or will we let Christ bind them? Will we sit and mourn, or will we stand and sing?” i just hit send on a pour-out-my-hurting-heart email to a my friend, and i mentioned ‘not-healed-as-well-as-i-thought wounds’ from the past… and through my tears i read your words above that remind me to take the wounds once again to the cross for Him to bind them… that i may stand and sing. i love the cowboy’s courage and boldness and i love his example of amazing devotion… thanks for sharing the story…

  • faith_driven

    That’s amazing. Reminds me of 2 Corinthians 3. Verse 12 says “therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” and then verse 18 says “and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory…”
    That cowboy was so bold and in his courage he reflected God’s glory through his worship.
    Amazing! Thanks for the post.

    Chris

  • Rebekah

    This is so beautiful. I love it. Thank you.

  • Travis

    Hmmm, I recall 40 Cowboys crying as the Steelers triumphed over the Cardinals… A very sad day.

    Ahem,
    Back to the task at hand. It is hard for me not to cry when I hear the National Anthem, or when I hear Taps. I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I hear a quail call on a frosty morning, or when I feel the gentle breeze press against me while standing on a mountain slope. Or, when I look up into the stars and see the grandeur of creation.

    I’ll have to take up issue with the list you mentioned. The first time I saw a cowboy cry was when he put down his horse, a faithful steed that broke his leg. It scared me to see such raw emotion coming from a man I practically worshiped.

    This was an awesome post, and a brilliant observation. Thanks Billy!

  • Sockrma18

    Awesome…..praying we all stand up and sing when the hard times come.

  • nAncY

    i think you are right, that most of us do not get to see the quiet acts of courage.

  • lynnrush

    Great post, Billy. I am with Jennifer, I want to stand and sing.

    You witnessed God touching this man, meeting him where he was, where it was needed.

    Thanks for sharing this. It’s so inspirational.

  • Avily Jerome

    Thanks for this post, Billy!

    Great reminder of true courage!

  • Carol

    Glad to be able to comment again. I know, I do whether I am supposed to or not anyway! I love what you had to say. Songs make me cry. I am a singer, you know! I am not too proud to let the world know I am touched and singing my heart. Love, Carol

  • jasonS

    I have done both, but I know standing and singing is much more fruitful.

  • pam at beyondjustmom

    Beautiful post. Growing up with a few real cowboys, I think they showed emotion with integrity more often than people think.
    May we all lay our troubles at His feet, then stand up and sing.
    Thank you.

  • Lori

    You brought tears to my eyes again. Keep up the God work, Billy. Lori

  • Terry Burns

    Spoke right to me with this one, my friend. I’ve spent my whole life working with and around cowboys and they have as a rule raised concealing expression of emotion to an art form. Yet most I have known do feel and feel deeply and when they do break past the barrier to express emotion it is always honest and strong even if understated. This is true for a lot of men I have known in all sorts of avocations who struggle to maintain the facade of the strong, reliable man they have been taught to be.

    Very good post.