Jake the Rancher

Here's one of my favorite "Cowboy Poems" -- I don't know who wrote it, but I thought it would be a fitting follow up to my last post.

So here we go.....

Jake, the rancher went one day to fix a distant fence.
The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds were gray and dense,
As he pounded the last staples and gathered tools to go
The temperature had fallen and the snow began to blow.

When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart,
from the sound of that ignition, he knew it wouldn't start.

So Jake did what most of us would do if we'd have been there.
He humbly bowed his balding head and said a little prayer.

As he slowly turned the key once more, he softly cursed his luck.
They found him three days later, frozen stiff in that old truck. 

Now Jake had been around in life and done his share of roamin'. 

But he was shocked when he saw Heaven ~ it looked just like Wyomin'.

Of all the saints in Heaven, his favorite was St. Peter.
And Jake was thrilled when the gates opened wide and Peter was the greeter!

They set and talked for a minute or two, or maybe it was three,
Nobody was keepin' time – cause in Heaven time is free.

"I've always heard," Jake said to Pete, "that God will answer prayers,
But one time when I needed Him, well, He just wasn't there.

Does He answer the prayers of some, and ignore the prayers of others?
That don't seem exactly square -- seeing we all are brothers.

Or does he randomly reply, without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it's the time of day, the weather or the season.

Now I ain't trying to be smart, but it's just the way I feel,
And I was wonderin', could you tell me, Pete -- what the heck's the deal?

 Peter listened patiently and when ol’ Jake was done, 

There were smiles of recognition, and he said, "So, you're the one!
That day your truck, it wouldn't start, and you sent your prayer a flying,
You gave us all a real hard time, with hundreds of us a trying.

A thousand angels rushed to check the status of your file,
But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard from you in quite a while.
And though all prayers are answered, and God ain't got no quota,
He didn't recognize your voice, and started a truck in North Dakota!