Cheerful in all weathers... Never shirked a task... Splendid behavior
Last night, I was watching Lonesome Dove for... let's see.. the 100th time? lol There is a scene where Josh Deets, a long-time scout for Woodrow and Gus dies. Deets' death really has an impact on Call and Gus... he had been with them for years.
They dig a grave and then Call writes an epitaph on a board for Deets grave. The epitaph reads in part... "Josh Deets... fought with me in ... engagements... cheerful in all weathers, never shirked a task... splendid behavior."
I like that... think about it...
"Cheerful in all weathers..." Didn't matter if it was raining.. snowing... hot or cold... ole' Deets was cheerful.
"Never shirked a task.." Deets was reliable.
"Splendid behavior.." No explanation needed.
Well, I did a google search and discovered that, this epitaph actually was inspired by the epitaph written for a slave.
According to the story, there was a slave named Bose Ikard who is buried in Weatherford, Texas. Ikard was born a slave and rode for years after his emancipation with cattle barons Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving whose exploits became the stuff of legend in Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove." Ikard was the real-life inspiration for Josh Deets.
Ikard's tombstone reads ""Splendid behavior." It goes on to read "Served with me four years on the Goodnight-Loving Trail, never shirked a duty or disobeyed an order, rode with me in many stampedes, participated in three engagements with Comanches. Splendid behavior."
Now, the question is.. how will we be remembered?
Cheerful in all weathers... what's your attitude like?
Never shirked a task... are you reliable?
Splendid behavior....
I am so thankful that our Lord never shirked a task. In the garden of Gethsemane... Jesus prayed that if possible, the cup of suffering would pass... then He prayed "Not my will but thine be done." Jesus went to the cross for us. He didn't shirk a task.
Cheerful in all weathers... never shirked a task... splendid behavior... Those are tough to do, aren't they? The only way we can do those things is through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. Today, ask the Lord to help you live the Christian life.
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