Over the last five weeks we have crossed the United States, traveling from South Carolina to California. We made our way up the west coast, from Southern California all the way to Seattle. This past week we traveled from Washington State, through the Idaho panhandle, across parts of Montana, and down through Wyoming and Colorado. On Saturday we began our drive across Kansas, and finished that up on Sunday afternoon. Week Six on the road begins with us in Kansas City, Missouri, pretty much in the middle of the map.
Over this last week we had some great experiences. Crossing the Rocky Mountains. Seeing the wide open spaces of Montana and Wyoming. Visiting Yellowstone National Park and seeing the majestic Tetons. We spent some time in Denver, where we once lived, and drove through our old neighborhood, doing some reminiscing. Then we began the drive across the plains, where the land seems to stretch endlessly in all directions.
We had some really good food during this last week. "Montana Meatloaf" in Bozeman was definitely one of my favorites, a combination of bison, beef, and pork, all locally sourced. I rarely order meatloaf in restaurants, because I don't usually like restaurant meatloaf. This was a pleasant surprise, and one of the most delicious things I have eaten on this adventure. My other favorite meal this week was a bison rib-eye steak in Wyoming. If you could have tasted it, you would agree! When we arrived in Kansas City, we had to have some barbecue, and the meal we had did not disappoint. We shared a combination platter of prime beef rib, pork baby backs, and an assortment of burnt ends. I had never heard of burnt ends until I arrived in Kansas City yesterday! I'm glad we decided to share, so we could try several things on one platter. Even so, it was a lot of food, all of it was very good, and we weren't able to eat it all!
Over the last several weeks, we have met a number of people, had some interesting conversations with random strangers, and done quite a bit of people-watching. People in the northwestern part of our country - Washington State, Montana, Wyoming - are particularly friendly and helpful. Californians, especially those in the Bay Area, seem glued to their electronic devices. Everywhere we have been, people are really pretty much the same. Some are pleasant; some, not so much. Some people seem particularly stressed or unhappy. Some are friendly and outgoing; some, not so much.
All that seems to have nothing to do with skin color or lifestyle or economic condition. It all seems to come from somewhere within.
Certainly the root of a joy-filled life is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Having that relationship at the center of your life is the basis for what is evident on the outside.
Good mood or bad. Cranky or pleasant. Calm or stressed. It all comes from the inside. No one would dispute that external circumstances can sometimes be difficult or stressful. And often we have no control over the externals. What we can control is our response. How we choose to react. That reaction is one of the choices we get to make in life.
We get to choose. That's a truth, no matter which part of the map you may find yourself in today. And no matter what the circumstances of your life.
Sadly, it is often true that even Christians get bogged down in circumstances and put their focus there, rather than on the One who is at the center of their lives. The One who controls all circumstances. The One who has a plan and purpose for everything He allows into our lives. There's a choice to be made. And each of us must make it. It's an act of the will, rather than an emotional response. We choose.
I choose to be happy. I choose to trust God to work all things together for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). I choose not to let circumstances control my life. I choose joy.
What choice will you make today?
"The joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NASB)
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