Lessons from Dale Evans

Roy Rogers would have been 100 years old Saturday. Several radio stations celebrated the King of Cowboy’s birthday by airing episodes of the popular program he did with his wife Dale Evans. It was fun to hear the western duo ride and sing their way out of various desperate situations. Their faith in God always played an important role in each program but one program in particular moved me to tears. The bad guy in the episode I’m referring to had challenged Roy to a gunfight and the outlaw’s wife paid a visit to Dale to ask her for help. Dale suggested they pray. It was a moving, sincere prayer about surrendering all to God. It was refreshing to hear and the notion of complete surrender just happens to be the subject of the Monday night Bible study I belong to. I was convicted. I surrender nothing to God. I feel like two people many times. One part of me once to serve the Lord and the other part of me doesn’t want to surrender anything having to do with my brother. I want to see the people who caused so much hurt punished and I war against waiting on the Lord to bring that about. This lesson is getting old. The battle will intensify this week because I travel to see Rick. Oh, how I hate seeing the suffering. I want justice, but God wants me to surrender that to Him. I’ll take Dale’s example and pray constantly. Thanks Roy & Dale – you’re positive message continues to resonate in 2011. Thanks for not compromising you beliefs. Help me God to lay this burden down and focus on rewriting Hearts West II.