When I first came to Colorado, I hadn’t drug many calves to the fire. I always seemed to be the youngest and on the ground crew no matter how old I was. That’s what you get for hanging out with guys older than you all the time.
The Olkjer family was the first to invite me to a branding. I drug one calf to the fire that day... but it was by two legs. I’m sure I caught most of the rest of them, but one leg ain’t enough. I was embarrassed, and I went home and started practicing. In my very small defense, it wasn’t the roping, it was the dallying and a round pen. Nowadays I’m pretty handy and catch a respectable amount. Most days.
Here’s the thing about that invite. It came before I was any good. Nobody asked to watch me rope first. They wanted me at the fire, not my resume.
Jesus told about a rancher who threw a great big BBQ and sent invites to a whole crowd of folks. That invite didn’t say clean up first. It didn’t say get handy first. It said come on, it’s all ready now. He did all the work. The fire’s built, the meat’s on, and your name was on the list before you ever swung a rope.