America the Beautiful

Now that the Epic 25th Six Corners Tour is over I want to add some final thoughts.

I want to thank Kelley for letting my "bike thing" happen even if it caused her worry and cost us money.  Doing things like this is important for me and the self giving love she shows me is amazing.

I want to thank the 25th Anniversary Committee and the members of Faith Lutheran Church for giving me the time and financial support that allowed this trip to happen.  I really wish you could have a much better pastor serving you and your mission - but you have me (and soon Pastor Tan) so I pray that we make the most of it.

It was fun to actually use Facebook to update people on what I was up to and, while expensive, the GPS tracker technology was a winner.  I really appreciated knowing that Kelley could find out where I was and we could keep in touch along the way.

Thank you, Sue and Bob for our visit at the lake.  Thank you, Uncle Gordon and Aunt Darlene for taking time away from packing for our visit.  It was great to see you.  Thank you, Uncle Tom and Aunt Judy, for our time together including nights with you at the farm and use of your home in Mesquite.  Thank you, Dwight and Peggy Wendschlag, for a great night and morning in Kalispell.  Thank you, Aunt Ginny and Uncle Lowell, for our time together with Uncle Jerry in Mesquite.  I'm still shocked at his sudden passing but will be grateful forever for that time.  Ginny, our thoughts and prayers will be with you.

And THANK YOU Sue and Bill for such a great time at Big Lake.  The three nights I spent with you was my longest stay in one place for three weeks and I wish I could have stayed a lot longer.  But I know that old line about relatives and fish, three days and they spoil.  It was so great to get our family back together again and catch up.  Thank you.

As I finished up the trip today, figuring out the statistics and costs, it was amazing how three weeks could become such a blur as to make me wonder if it really happened, and yet each gas receipt brought back memories of where I was and how it felt to pass through.  I've never taken this many pictures on a ride before.  My hope is to turn these blog posts into a book that captures the trip and becomes a family momento.  I think there are internet sites that let you do that.

I could go on forever about this trip (and no doubt will with my friends until they tire of hearing the same stories too many times), but I want to finish up with three thoughts.

1.  When I visited my Mom's grave I thought about what I would most want to say to her about my life today.  My answer would be that I have never been happier in and with my life than I am today.  I came home to a beautiful wife, kids who are growing up, and a great congregation that does good in the lives of so many people.  I am blessed.  This trip was a great way to remember and re-think my whole life, not just the last 25 years of ordained ministry.  As much as my home town means to me and has shaped me, I realize anew that my home is now in Houston.  My mom would be glad to know that.

2.  I hope there is a strong movement in our country to replace our national anthem with "America, The Beautiful."  Having covered a lot of ground and seen a lot of sights, I hope we are ready at some point to recognize the blessings of our country with a song that captures its scope rather than one based on the thoughts of a person observing the start of yet another war.  God really has blessed us to live where we live, wherever that is.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

I know that not everyone believes in God or appreciates the work of the church.  But like I heard in northern Minnesota, "I use the church to meet the deepest needs that people don't even realize they have."  I thought about that again when I was with my Uncle Jerry in the hospital.  He admitted to me that he seldom gave a thought about God or the church for his entire life.  Only at the end, only facing the end, did he reach out to the church.  And what did he find?  He found a pastor he could trust, a congregation where he mattered, and the love of God that transformed him from the inside out.  My Uncle Lowell told me much the same - he came to a place in his life where he needed a power greater than himself to help him do what he couldn't do on his own.  He found that in a new friend and in church.  I'm grateful to be part of a community that God can use to write that story into people's lives.

3.  And finally, Harley Davidson makes a heckuva motorcycle.  Thanks for taking a ride with me.