When I was but a young man,
I was wild and full of fire
but full of challenge and desire
and left my mother and my dad
so to think their only boy was bad
I fell in with an outlaw band,
their names were known quite well
How many times we robbed and plundered,
This kind of sinful livin'
I learned that much and more
the night I heard my master call
One night we rustled cattle,
And started them out on the trail
But a norther started blowin'
and lightning flashed about
I thought someone was calling me,
I thought I heard a shout
And left there was a giant cross,
for once there was a tree
And this time I knew I heard a voice,
a voice so sweet and strange
A voice that came from everywhere,
a voice that called my name
So frightened I was thinking
of sin ful deeds I'd done
I failed to see the thousand head
The cattle they stampeded
and it threw me to the ground
that death would be the price
When a mighty bowl of lightning
showed the face of Jesus Christ
And I cried, Lord, forgive me,
I want to live for You alone,
I thought of wasted years
When another bowl of lightning
killed a hundred head of steers
And the others rushed on by me,
life is His to take or give
A miracle preformed that night,
The dead ones formed a barricade,
at least six or seven high
Right behind it there was I,
afraid but safe and sound
I cried and begged for mercy,
kneeling there upon the ground
No more to fear the angry waves
Forgiven by the love of God,
the night the Savior called my name
4.7
