Spunk and Tenacity
Ray gave me an early birthday present in November — a trip to see Riders in the Sky perform in Nashville. The group had celebrated an anniversary the night before — 40 years of traveling around the country, dressing up in cowboy costumes, and singing cowboy songs. Ranger Doug and Too Slim have been in Riders in the Sky since the first night, Woody Paul joined during that first year, and even the newcomer Joey the CowPolka King has been in the group for 30 years.
Don’t you know there have been ups and downs in forty years? Surely in forty years they have needed patience and forgiveness and encouragement and rest again and again.
One of the most important reasons I write these messages to you is to encourage you as you persevere in the crucial daily walk you have chosen. That takes spunk and tenacity. Just like those guys in Riders in the Sky have needed to be patient, forgiving, and encouraging with one another and just like they have needed rest, I hope you will be patient, forgiving, and encouraging with yourself and that you will give yourself the permission you need to rest. You deserve it.
Many things in life are worth the effort to stick with it. The role you have chosen for your life is one of those things.
As I told you last summer, Ray and I have seen Riders in the Sky in person one other time — in the cave where the PBS show Bluegrass Underground is filmed. Just days after that performance, we published the first hardback curriculum we had ever developed, America the Beautiful. As the Riders stood around after the show meeting people in the audience that day, I asked them for permission to include a picture from their show in a lesson about American music. They kindly said that I could.
Before we left for the concert a few weeks ago, Ray wisely suggested that we take a copy of America the Beautiful so we could get them to sign it. I was thrilled with the idea. After the show, we stood in line for autographs. The first Rider I got to talk to was Joey. He was excited about the book and even asked how to get a copy.
Kindly each member of Riders in the Sky signed his name beside his picture.
They sweetly posed for a picture again, just like they had done in the cavern years ago.
You can imagine how excited I was when Joey asked if he could get a copy. I signed one for them and sent it the next day. That was another thrill. The ages of the four Riders in the Sky range from 68 to 71. I’m so proud of them for sticking with their music all these years, sticking with each other, and for continuing to bring smiles to so many cowpoke faces.
Endurance is necessary for a career, necessary for the role you play in your family, and, most importantly, for living for our compassionate and merciful Lord.
We count those blessed who endured.
You have heard of the endurance of Job
and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings,
that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
James 5:11