So today I went to the Trail Days Cowboy Church service and breakfast. My pastor was the speaker and gave a timely reminder of how much the United States has become like Israel - turning deliberately away from God. I will reiterate what Pastor Dan said - we do have a Deliverer, just as Israel did. That Deliverer gives us the choice, and the right to make the choice as to whether or not we are delivered.
Interesting thought to sit on.
While I was there, I noticed a guy no one was talking to. He kind of wandered around until cowboy church started. During the breakfast he sat at the end of a long set of tables by himself. Got to figure he is a newcomer or someone no one wants to be with.
Dan and I talked a bit, then got in the end of the line for breakfast. The seats available to sit at were by this guy who was alone. Dan introduced himself and kind of got the ball rolling with conversation, then turned to the others near us to talk with them.
I decided to be nice, try to be a little outgoing in a social situation. Not normal for me at all, but I know what it is like to be in a room full of people and be alone.
We chit chat a bit. He asks if I am the town photographer. I tell him what I do for a living and, being polite, ask about his work. Tells me he works at the base. We already know he has come from Cheyenne, so I make the obviously leap that he is a civilian contractor there.
After a bit more conversation, where I realize he is trying to determine the basis for my interest, he finally says he was deliberately evasive in telling me where he is actually from. Utah.Does work at a nuke base, but not Warren. Just at Cheyenne for a visit. Here in Pine Bluffs for mud volleyball, cowboy church and breakfast.
Now, that kind of offended me. I was not trying to find my soul mate. I was trying to be a nice person to someone I had not seen before.
After he knew I was a reporter, and my pastor reinforced the truth of that, THEN the man was free to talk uninhibited. Didn't realize I was that scary.
Just like we have a choice to accept deliverance, we also have a choice about how we live, how we treat others, how we respond to how they treat us. We can choose to be genuinely interested in someone else without it having to mean more than that.
I think the lesson for me to take from this is that it is important for me to follow God's leading in every situation. Step out of my comfort zone. Care enough about another of His creatures to be uncomfortable. Have to work on the being offended thing. Wrong attitude. Gotta fix that.