Sunday, June 28, 2015

Peeling judgment off my eyes

Rodeo grounds. Breakfast in the building center; church in the bleachers at right. 


 Parade down Main Street (real City Hall)
I opted out of a rodeo yesterday because the small townish rodeo grounds (in Kamiah, Idaho) made me chuckle.

A good wind might turn to kindling the few wooden structures serving as viewing stands and concession stand.

And the rodeo parade prior was just as small,  maybe three blocks long. About 50 scattered people  stood roadside and cheered the three rodeo queens, the Model T, a couple a dozen horses sparkling with glitter, a fancy buckboard and some pink-shirted cowboys. Oh, and the hit of the parade, the pooper-scooper (the announcer let us all know this guy does great outdoor odd-jobs and is for hire.)

Nope. This rodeo is just too small for us (non-cowboy Easterners.)

Well, today, I’m opting back in.

My Cowboy breakfast
This morning, we attended a Cowboy Breakfast inside that small wobbly rodeo grounds. We sat next to real (mostly non-talkative) cowboy-hatted Idahoans. Watched moms and dads giggle with their kids. Enjoyed catching grins from pouty teens being cajoled by grandfather types. Loved the hominess.

We sipped some great coffee.

Sixteen people served the 21 of us seated around the u-shaped table, constantly offering up plates heaped with perfectly fried eggs, ham slices with a brush of caramelization on both sides and beautiful pancakes I’d wish I knew how to make.

And now, we are sitting in the rodeo bleachers attending Cowboy Church.

Cowboy Church.

Worshipping the Lord at the rodeo grounds
Preached by a real cowboy. Talking about bullriders such as Freckles Brown and  Lame Frost and Dalena the cutting horse who went up against a “red and white limousine bull” and won. He talked about labels (cowboy, bullrider) and performance (beating out a bull) and how none of it matters when it comes to God because we are saved by His grace alone.

So now this rickety rodeo doesn’t feel so small. Because we got inside, looked around. (A book and its cover, right?)

We’re heading back at 1 to watch the show. And, yes, the viewing stand wobbles a bit, but so do I.