Keeping the Faith

The school year is coming to an end and that means State Finals are just around the corner. We all go to Abilene with our own goals, while most everyones is to make Nationals, some are just hoping for good, safe, clean runs.

One thing about State - it can be overwhelming! There are so many great rodeo athletes from all across Texas and even some from other states that are competing here. We often sell ourselves short; just because you don’t have the most expensive horse or the fanciest truck and trailer does not mean you are any less capable of winning that state title. We all have the opportunity and that is what we have competed all year to try and achieve. Trusting in God to guide you in the right direction is key, He may not have it planned for you to make Nationals or do good at State, but that’s only because He has bigger and better things planned for your future.

Every one of us sets out to do our very best. Sometimes you may feel like your not good enough or your horse isn’t fast enough or your stock draw isn’t good enough to win the round – don’t let those things get to you! You persevere by keeping the faith! If you think about it, God gave you that animal you drew or made you last on the ground for a reason - He is challenging you. He is trying to prove to you that if you trust and have faith in Him, greater things are to come. The most important thing is that you give it your all – you do the best you can do with the God given talent He blessed you with. It is our responsibility to work hard and cultivate the abilities He gave us; by doing this we honor Him.

Sure, we may not have the outcome we hope for, but you have to remember, that everything happens according to God’s plan – we just have to keep the faith! When things don’t work out the way that we had hoped, we need to use the experience as a learning tool – correct what we can and improve our skills to make ourselves better rodeo athletes and be more prepared for next time. It’s often hard to watch a run and think what could I have done better, or hear from your coach, mentor or parents the little things you could have or should have done that could have made the outcome better. God puts these people in our lives for a reason and it’s our job to listen to them and do our best to correct what we can so that maybe the next run will turn out the way we planned.

Remember, do not doubt yourself! We all have the ability to succeed and win. Texas is one of the toughest states to rodeo in, so making it to the State level is a huge accomplishment! Remember - some of the greatest cowboys and cowgirls never made Nationals, so don’t ever give up or loose faith!