"Spurs"

That rowel is meant to jingle,

When you go ridin’ past,

A spur’s a strapped on throwback,

To cowboy ways that last.

I remember Billy Carter,

From the days when as a kid,

I rode with my Dad’s cowboys,

And watched the things they did.

Old Billy rode a gray horse,

His name was Badger Lee,

And Billy had some big rowels,

That tapped his back girth, see.

And Badger’s bit was buzzin’,

With a cricket his tongue rolled,

Seemed like that they made music,

As my memories unfold.

I didn’t have a pair of spurs,

I wanted some real bad,

And so I saved some money up,

And went to talk with Dad.

He said you must remember,

That even though you buy,

Spurs are something that you earn,

With all your cowboy try.

I didn’t understand it,

At least not at the first,

I knew that all the cowboys,

Wore spurs, even the worst.

So what was my Dad sayin’,

That I shouldn’t go and buy?

And what was all this business,

About my cowboy try?

So I went and talked with Billy,

And asked him to explain,

He knew I liked his spurs a lot,

And he would make things plain.

He said it’s ‘bout the cowboy way,

And when comes time to do,

Anything that is required,

The boss can count on you.

And spurs they have their function,

To cue our horses so,

But symbolize the way we live,

And that we always show,

That we will always make good,

On what we say we’ll do,

Do our best, do what is right,

And work to see things through.

I thought a lot about it,

I went and bought a pair,

They had little jingle-bobs,

I decided then and there,

That I would always do my best,

To do what Billy said,

I haven’t always done it,

But in my heart and head,

Just a little snapshot,

Of a slower, simpler time,

Billy’s gone and Badger,

But if the day is fine,

And I am out there horseback,

I can hear my own spur tap,

And, no, not to go faster,

But for my history to map.

To hold to those traditions,

And the way things used to be,

That rowel is meant to jingle,

When he rides by, you see.

“My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart…” (Proverbs 3:1, NLT)

If we are fortunate, we were given wisdom for living by our parents. If not, we had to get it on our own or received it from pastors, teachers, coaches and others who may have cared about us enough to mentor us. Best case scenario: what we learned traveled with us through life and helped us avoid life’s pitfalls. Most of us did not have a best case scenario. Worst case scenario: we keep on making the same mistakes over and over and never learn from them. Unfortunately this is what a lot of people seem to experience, otherwise called “insanity” (by some). Most case scenario: we got some wisdom from others, didn’t always follow it, had to learn some things the hard way, but God has helped us. That’s the way it is with most of the Jesus followers I know. It’s not a bad idea to ask God to help you remember the wisdom He has given you, however you learned it.

Lord, help us learn from the wisdom we were taught by others, and also by what we learned the hard way, in Jesus’ name.