Westward Ho!

The early history of America is one of westward migration. If things got a little dicey with the law or one’s neighbors, or maybe one wanted to farm without the rocks of Massachusetts, one could always head west. Looking at my family’s personal history over the centuries this is what happened. France to Virginia to Tennessee to Missouri was my family’s personal saga over the last 300 years. I have continued this by moving to California. Westward Ho!  

The story is told of two men who went west to the Ohio valley. The first man stopped at a homestead and saw an old man on the front porch of the modest cabin where the old man lived. Old men are supposed to give good advice, so the traveler asked him, “Is this a good place to stop? What are the people like here?” 

The old man pondered the question and then asked one of his own. “How were the people where you came from?” 

The pioneer answered him, “The people where I came from were selfish and argumentative, and would not help their neighbor.” “Ah,” the old man said, “You will find people the same here.” The traveler continued on his journey. 

The second traveler later that day asked the old man the same questions. The old man again asked, “How were the people where you came from?” 

The second homesteader answered, “The people were great, always willing to help a neighbor. We regretted leaving our friends there.” 

The old man answered, “You will find people the same here.” The traveler stayed in the area and found the old man’s words to be prophetic. 

So if you find the situation you are in to be difficult, you need to think about the words of the old man. Is your boss really that bad, or are you by your actions or your inaction causing the situation? The boss may remain a jerk, but might become a jerk who favors you because of your performance. You cannot really change others, but you can change yourself. And by changing yourself, you may find that others “change.” As the proverb says “What goes around, comes around.”  

Paul said the same in Gal 6: 

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We do, to a surprising degree, create the world in which we live. Are you as wise as the old man? What world are you creating?