I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.
- 2 Samuel 7:6
My God will reject them
because they have not obeyed him;
they will be wanderers among the nations.
- Hosea 9:17
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
- Matthew 8:20
[Chorus]
I have been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I’m happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love’s been good to me
[Verse 1]
There was a girl in Denver
Before the summer storm
Oh, her eyes were tender
Oh, her arms were warm
And she could smile away the thunder
Kiss away the rain
And even though she’s gone away
You won’t hear me complain
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
There was a girl in Portland
Before the winter chill
We used to go a-courtin’
Along October Hill
And she could laugh away the dark clouds
Cry away the snow
It seems like only yesterday
As down the road I go
[Chorus]
- Rod McKuen, Love’s Been Good to Me
Rod McKuen was a polarizing person. He never openly admitted any sexual preference, but he said that being stuck with one sex was limiting. He was outspoken for LGBTQ rights. He never married, never had children. He sang some of his own music, but most of the popular singers of the time recorded his songs.
The song Love’s Been Good to Me seems like a sweet song, but when you consider the lyrics deeply, the song is bittersweet. In a way, it seems to be a autobiographical tale. It almost sounds like he is making excuses for not settling down.
It is sad that over decades of being a rover, the poet only had two examples of love being good to him. The Denver girl had tender eyes, warm arms, and a smile that could chase away the rain. The Portland girl could laugh away the dark clouds.
But other than a couple of memories over decades, there was no substance. He was left with nothing that lasted.
In the Scriptures, the 2 Samuel verse is God saying that He has never dwelled in a house, only a tent. David wanted to build that house, but God said that Solomon would be the one to build the temple. But God’s comment was tongue in cheek. One could argue that God being a spirit, He has neither tongue nor cheek, but God is everywhere. He has been in every house that was ever built. In everyone that loves Jesus, He resides in our hearts. But my wife lamented near her death that we never had anything nice. She meant a home of her own. But my wife has that home now.
In the Scripture from Hosea, God was saying that the people of Israel would be scattered, living in tents, never having a home. So, being a rover, and not having a home, was a form of punishment. Not something to be admired. Not something to look upon late in life and say that love was good to be a couple of times, so my life was not wasted.
And the last Scripture from Matthew is Jesus explaining that He has no place to lay His head, warning a prospective disciple that being a follower of Christ was not going to be easy. But Jesus knew His destiny.
And Jesus knew that a lot of people would come to know Him and love Him.
In some ways, without a home of my own, I feel like the rover, but we are here such a short time. I hope that I spent my time and resources loving others.
And in a small way, the poet got a few things right. The beauty of the girls was not mentioned. Their romance only mentioned a kiss. And the features that lingered in the poet’s memory was that one smiled and the other laughed.
Here is Frank Sinatra singing Love’s Been Good to Me.
My wife could chase away the clouds with her laughter and her smile.
Those are memories that will never fade.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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