"Eagerton"

A cowboy buddy passed away,

A sudden stroke and gone,

I read the words they had to say,

They didn’t get it wrong.

Like others that you read about,

From birth to death they said,

They covered lots of things, no doubt,

Now that my friend is dead.

But I just couldn’t help but think,

How they got all his time,

Compressed, somehow they made it shrink,

To make it fit just fine.

But what about the morning sun,

That he welcomed every day,

Thinkin’ ‘bout what should be done,

And takin’ time to pray.

And all the pain I know he felt,

But learned to overcome,

Rose to play the cards they dealt,

And still laugh and have fun.

‘Could they describe the countless times,

He caught a horse and rode,

Went to gather, roped sometimes,

The cowboy way he showed.

A million thoughts and feelings,

The affections that he felt,

All his work and dealings,

It makes my old heart melt.

‘Cause he was here just yesterday,

Looked like he’s doing fine,

And I don’t have much more to say,

He was almost out of time.

Just one more cup of morning brew,

Or maybe, whiskey, please,

I could ask him if he knew,

The touch of heaven’s breeze,

Before the day he said good-bye,

To the life he loved so well,

I know he would want me to try,

To find the words to tell,

That he is in a better place,

That Jesus is the way,

And now my friend can see His face,

Forever there will stay.

So good-bye, my old cowboy friend,

You meant so much to me,

In heaven’s pastures without end,

I’ll join you soon, you see.

“Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8, NLT)

The mystery of life and death is age old. For all of human history people have written prose and poetry, sung songs, and told stories about what it means to live and die. I’ve led many funerals and attended them as well. It has always amazed me that we can memorialize seventy or eighty years in an hour. And if you go much past that, people get antsy and want to go eat! God’s Word tells us this world is not our home and when our bodies die, we are instantly transported into God’s presence. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. Standing before God is a welcome thought for those who are saved by Jesus Christ. If one is not saved or is unsure, the prospects are not as positive. In any case, the recurring lesson is to be ready. And only God can make us so.

Lord, bless this life and ready us for the life to come, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, billantonstudios.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.