Saturday, December 6

Dusty Spurs!




It was a beautiful day in Colorado. The sky was blue, not a puff of wind and the sun was shining warm for December. Jesse Lee (Chug) Beckett was laid to rest today with family gathered to remember his life.

I took down his spurs; they had been hanging on hooks attached to a mirrored plaque of a horse for many years and they were truly dusty! I took them, along with his hat, to place alongside his picture to honor his life, for they represented so intimately who he was. I wrote a little piece that was read at the memorial called ‘Reflections’ and wanted to share just a portion of it here.

“All men have a calling in life and Chug’s was the ranch life. At heart he was a cowboy whose dedication to the land, the cattle, the horses and all that goes along with ‘living the ranch life’ bore the results of his dedication. He worked hard, he was a gifted man in his calling and he fulfilled that life long calling in his steadfastness to ‘getting the work done’. The last 10 years of his life were especially difficult for him because he couldn’t even do things that he considered helpful for those that he loved. He couldn’t help Eileen in ways that would relieve a burden and he couldn’t visit his children or grandchildren because he could no longer travel. Although he didn’t like the limitations that were put upon him by his health he handled those years in a sweet, patient and loving way. The strong and proud man became the humble and dependant man, but he never grew angry.”

He believed that funerals were for the living and for the Gospel to be heard. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that Christ came into the world to redeem His people. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God and Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me”. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus Christ. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved."


It is the last, final thing that we do for those that we love and it was of the greatest honor and privilege, he would have been pleased. I miss him greatly!

Grace and Peace

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