Branded by God

I want to introduce you to the one who branded me and started me and others on the journey to the fire.

On the ranch, we put cows and calves together in the big pen; calves stayed calmer this way with their mother. Our fire was in the center of the pen, so cows could meander around the inside fence and ropers could rope calves, trailing their mother. They would rope a calf’s hind feet and drag them to the fire by horse. Then our wrestlers would grab them by the tail and pull them over on their side with the side intended to be branded facing up. One wrestler would put a knee on its neck and curl its front leg securely. The wrestler behind would put the heel of his cowboy boot behind the leg on the ground, pushing and stretching it forward, while taking the lariat off and grabbing the other hind leg, stretching it backward. They were held securely and tight, so the one branding didn’t get a smeared brand when the calf tried to kick free. You ended up with a perfect legible brand with the hair burned off and the hide scorched, so the hair doesn’t grow back.

God has held me so secure and branded me with his Spirit, proving ownership.

We branded cattle with a red-hot iron, which was the most efficient way to brand numbers of cattle from one hundred to a thousand a day. We would freeze-brand our horses with liquid nitrogen, which was less painful and stressful on horses. You were generally branding just one or two horses at a time. The other perk to freeze branding was the hair would grow back in, but it came back white. This was very attractive on a dark horse. It was our signet of ownership.

My signet or brand from God produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. No wild ass kicking and bucking in rebellion.

-- Wes Walton