On this past Saturday we laid to rest a life-long friend of mine, John Scott (Scotty) Reed. At the funeral I listened intently to numerous stories and testimonies about the goodness of Scotty, particularly as to how he touched many lives in a positive way throughout his lifetime on earth. This brought to my mind an old adage that used to be spoken more often than it is today: “Back in the Day when Men were Men and Women were Women”.
This brought me to realize just how much John Scott Reed was in fact a REAL MAN – God Fearing, Hard Working, Tax Paying, Patriotic, Generous, Honest (often brutally coming from Scotty), and so on . . .a man who would not hesitate to “give you the shirt off his back” if that was what it took to mitigate the situation at hand and to generally make one’s life better.
Real Men tend to be heroes such as Firemen, Linemen, and Rescuers. That’s our Scotty!
Real Men tend to be Pathfinders, Pace Setters, Doers, and selfless Givers (not takers). That’s our Scotty!
Real Men “don’t rest” until a job is completed even when it requires working hard through sweat and pain, and we all know that Scotty routinely suffered a lot of physical pain. [And sometimes on days when those pains may have somewhat subsided, poor Scotty - bless his tender heart - would accidentally drop a heavy object on his foot to bring on yet more pain]. Yes, that’s our Scotty!
Real Men are courageous and steadfast in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
John Wayne, a famous Real Man and Hero to many of us, is credited with the astute observation that “courage is being scared to death, but saddling up and riding on anyway.”
Yes, that’s our Scotty! And you know, if Scotty had lived in ancient times, I can envision him as a prominent member of King David’s Band of Mighty Men who consistently exhibited extraordinary acts of courage to preserve and advance the Kingdom.
Real Men don’t leave a flimsy legacy but rather a strong legacy of value. Most of the stories shared at the funeral related to how Scotty – as an inspiring Sunday School teacher, rock-solid role model and relentless encourager – impacted the lives of numerous young people (and adults as well) in the context of them developing into Real Men and Real Women, effectively passing Scotty’s Legacy forward.
As I surveyed the funeral congregation I saw numerous Real Men and Real Women who, as did Scotty, impacted my life throughout its various stages in a positive way, rendering me a better man than I might otherwise be. And so I believe I can safely declare that these great people and others in the same likeness throughout our Land are the Heartbeat of America, the fellow citizens who for sure uphold and sustain the USA as the greatest country on earth.
No doubt our great nation is facing troubling times at this dawn of the 21st Century. And it’s going to require REAL MEN and REAL WOMEN to step up – as we always have – to successfully navigate us through the challenges at hand. And if any of us need a nudge or outright push to move forward full steam ahead, we need not look further than the legacy of our own beloved John Scott Reed. May Almighty God grant him Eternal Rest and the Crowns of Glory is has earned many times over.
AMEN!