From the Home Place

December 16, 2025

Hang onto your Stetson, the wind is going to be screaming for the next four days! With all of the “weird” things going on around our world, this weather is like nothing I’ve ever seen this time of year, here in Wyoming. We should be knee deep in snow by now and instead we are having sixty degree days! Speaking with a good friend last night at the girls’ basketball game, I mentioned that I’m concerned that sooner or later we are going to pay for this beautiful weather. He agreed and added, “Yep it’s either going to completely snow us in, or we are headed into a severe drought.” I figure he is correct. I know our Lord has this whole thing figured out, all we have to do is “watch and see.”

My dad was never one to do a lot of explaining about most situations. When I was in grade school, I would ask “how,” or “why” about something and his response was always, “watch and see.” In another words, “quit asking questions and just watch, you’ll figure it out.” He taught by example, not words.

I remember a time when we were helping a neighbor work some cattle. We pushed about 50 head of momma cows and their babies into a fence corner, ’cause this ‘ol feller wanted to sort off a hand-full of pairs. Dad and I sat on the perimeter with our horses, loosely holding the bunch in the corner. The neighbor tied up his horse about thirty yards down the fenceline and commenced to sorting, on foot.

I suggested to my dad that the ‘ol boy was going about this project all wrong, to which my dad commented, “watch and see.” Sure enough, Mr. Rancher got his pairs sorted out and we moved them to a different pasture. Once again, I needed to keep my opinions to myself and just “watch and see.”

I was in my early teens when I and another older feller went to helping folks with their Fall cattle work. We worked cattle in more places and in more fashions than my compadre had ever seen before, but we always got the job done. One day we were helping a “city raised” neighbor work his cattle, and that which most folks would have called a wreck, turned out just fine when I convinced my friend to just “follow this ‘ol boy’s lead, his cows are plenty familiar with the process.”

In another words, “watch and see.” It didn’t take too long before we had the cattle work completed and were eating a great lunch his little wife had prepared for us. On the way home, my friend commented, “I do believe that you could work cattle with a School Marm.” That was his way of saying that my “watch and see” method seemed to work, regardless if someone’s methods made sense to us or not.

Sometimes I have to apply the “watch and see” mind set as I watch our Heavenly Father do things that I don’t completely understand. I’ve learned rather than ask God questions about “how” or “why” He is doing things, usually all I need to do is follow His lead as I “watch and see.” Often, our questions are a challenge to how God is going about a certain situation, yet if we just humbly follow His lead, most things get done just fine.

After all, God has told us that His way of doing things is better than our way of doing things. In Isaiah 55:8 we read, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.” Within this passage God goes on to explain that His ways are much higher(better) than ours and all that He asks is that we walk in His ways so that He can use and bless us.

For each of us, we have our “way” of doing things, and that is just fine, for around our outfit. But there are times that we get to help someone else, and at those moments we become like the commercial says, we are “young adults becoming like our parents” – we are sure that “the best way to do that is to do it the way I would do it.” However, we often need to just “watch and see” as God uses us to accomplish His much better ways. No questions, just follow His lead and we’ll get the job done.

Practicing “watch and see” with you, Neal