Just because I'm paranoid desn't mean they aren't out to get me

Good morning, I pray the day is finding you well.

I am talking with you from Buffalo, Wyoming.

We arrived last night to this little town on the western plains.

It is a quiet place.

After checking in and putting our stuff in our room we went to eat at a Subway. While the Subway girls were making our sandwiches, they started talking to us.

They talked about how there is nothing to do here.

They talked about how when they graduate high school they are leaving to go to a place that is more fun.

I listened to their complaints.

I listened to them dream.

I told them that someday they will grow to appreciate their home and how they grew up.

They looked at me and said, "How do you know?"

I simply replied, "Oh, I know."

It reminded me of my little town.

There are times when I really miss it.

Just getting to Buffalo was a bit of an adventure.

Chuck took his bike to the Rapid City Harley shop for an oil change. That was when he discovered that he also needed a new tire. It took about 3 hours to get everything done. They gave us a ride to a truck stop so we could have breakfast.

At breakfast we met Charity. She was our server. She seated us at a booth and took our order. It was then that I noticed another booth that had an outlet. I was on my way to the restroom when I saw Charity. I asked her if we could move so I could charge my iPad. She said, "No problem." I asked her if she could do me a favor. I said, "Can you go up to my friend and say, move, move now!"

We had a good laugh.

As Chuck and I sat there eating breakfast, he began to tell me how he was sure that the Harley shop was going to try and up-sell him. How they put a special sticker on his bike that he was sure meant that they were going to get a lot of money out of him.

I said, "Sounds kind of paranoid to me."

Chuck replied, "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me."

I often wonder what this world would look like if we took the focus off of ourselves and put it on others? What if I could place all my focus on helping others, knowing all the time that others were putting their focus on me, helping me? How cool would it be to not have to watch your back because everyone else was watching it for you, giving you the opportunity to watch everyone else's back.

It feels as if it would be a fearless life.

A life full of good. A life full of love.

I know this sounds crazy.

I know it sounds undoable.

There was a little town in New York during the Second Great Awakening that disbanded its police force. They did not need it anymore.

As I rode through South Dakota, I ruminated on "The hands and feet of Christ."

I began to contemplate something Paul said to a group of people in Colossae, Greece.

This is what he said:

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." (Colossians 3:1-8, 10, 11 ESV)

I often wonder what the world would be like if we actually followed this teaching?

Blessings,