Kings of The Road
We are two friends who went on a road trip around the United States 20 years ago to serve churches. We kept a journal as we traveled and are reading through the journal and remembering our adventures. Listen and laugh with us as we go back in time and inspire others to go on an adventure.
Kings of The Road
53: Saying Yes to New Traditions and Community Bonds
Picture opening your doors to strangers and finding your life unexpectedly enriched. That's the essence of Christian hospitality we explore while sharing heartfelt stories of community and connection. We speculate on the power of saying "yes"—how embracing possibilities can lead not only to personal adventures but also to transformative experiences for those around us. We challenge the default reaction of saying "no" and propose that rethinking this habit can uncover hidden blessings. Join us in questioning these knee-jerk responses, and discover how a simple shift in mindset could lead to profound personal and communal growth.
Happy Halloween to those who celebrate Halloween, which which is, I think, most of america. Um, here you are, podcast. We are going down the road, we have lost our blooper tank, we are in florida, we're gonna go to new orleans and, um, my name is scott haw, His name is Andrew Gare. I'm going to try to say it very specifically, because every time when the AI tries to write a synopsis of the episode, it has a different thing T-Ray Gra. I'm like, wow, this is. It does my name well, every time, but I must mispronounce your name. So, andrew Gare, and we are the kings of the road, follow us on Facebook. Follow us on facebook. Like us on instagram. Tell our people about this podcast. If you have a state to defend, let us know, because we're going to start recording those episodes soon. So, hey, andrew hi.
Speaker 2:Um, I was laughing because I just realized I don't know if this is a new feature and it's a real shame that we don't publish videos, because I realized I was able to give you a title. Can you see that on your screen?
Speaker 1:I thought you were laughing because of my For those who Celebrate line with Halloween.
Speaker 2:Well, that was funny as well. I thought of the last section. I'm like that's a good one for those who celebrate Halloween.
Speaker 1:Which I think is probably the most universally celebrated holiday, at least in America.
Speaker 2:Well, that's interesting.
Speaker 1:You only got the Jehovah's Witnesses probably. Who don't? I would assume they don't celebrate anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a non-religious holiday.
Speaker 1:It's probably something people move into America and think, yes, well, maybe Thanksgiving too. Thanksgiving might be Christmas and Easter, yom Kippur, ramadan, but christmas and easter, uh, don't pour ramadan.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I'm gonna say something controversial here. Oh, I love it. Are we hold on? Are we going? Oh well, I don't know if we'll be I know, no go ahead, no go ahead yeah, so I learned that we do not celebrate Columbus Day anymore. It's.
Speaker 1:Indigenous People Day.
Speaker 2:It's now Indigenous People Day, yes, and something went home with the kids, or it was like one of my daughters has to do these fluencies where you read a passage and so she's reading this passage and I think Mary was reading it with her and I was just in the room and I was overhearing it and I started hearing, basically, my seven-year-old start to say some really nasty things about Christopher Columbus. I was like what? And I read this thing and it's like Christopher Columbus was the worst person in the world and he enslaved people and stole all their money and land and killed them and burned their village. I was like that is very different from what I learned.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, but I think it's accurate it might I think it probably is the problem.
Speaker 2:But now I'm wondering but now I'm wondering like think, what's going to happen to thanksgiving? Like we got to be coming for thanksgiving next, right I think, you know, I don't think so. I think that there's a different level of um I think, thanksgiving I don't think the indians fared well in the long haul, did they?
Speaker 1:oh, but I think that that initial, like I think the landing, oh, but I I have, um, I read the book the killers of the flower moon, or whatever which is it was a movie then later.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I watched that movie on an airplane it was so boring, but it was a very long flight, so I was like well, I got three hours.
Speaker 1:Let's do this. The book had more information but it really left me being like, oh, we were horrible. We were horrible to the Native Americans and I was like actively horrible for a long time. And even when they, we gave them reservations but then we like found that they had oil on there. We're like, ah well, you don't really get the. You know what I mean. It was just like, yeah, oh my gosh. And to we stayed. We veered pretty clear of most controversial things on this podcast. But yesterday I was doing Isaac's haircut and there was on the hair cutter you know storage thing where they have all the clippers and all she had a thing that made me. I couldn't see it right at first, but it made me start thinking. I was like, whoo, there's a lot of thoughts there, so I'll just say it and then we won't dive into it. But I was like oh, oh, my gosh there needs to be some thinking about this.
Speaker 1:It says, boy, there can be no illegal, there can be no illegals on stolen land, and I was like, oh, oh, that's a, that's a lot of buttons.
Speaker 2:I I mean, is there any land in the world that is?
Speaker 1:not stolen.
Speaker 2:The answer is probably yes, but like I mean, since people got here, they started.
Speaker 1:People don't really want the North. Pole yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean like there's oil underneath it, then we're going to steal it.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying if we got to peel the onion, we got to peel it to the core right. I don't know. Well, the Torvitz core right, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Well, the core of it's I mean the core of I I wasn't human the core of it's sin is like you did it.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you, thank you. We just take the stuff and we want it and then we justify it. There was this little brilliant, wonderful woman, so Southern at Birmingham. Her name was Rowena Wells. She's passed away now, but her line would be and it'd come up all the time in Bible studies. She'd say the human mind can justify anything the human heart desires. It's like, yeah, it's tough and she's right there, it is yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think, I don't think any.
Speaker 1:you know, we all want to be yeah, we all want to be justified and we all want to feel like our hands are clean but come like, uh, if we got really honest, which that's why a lot of people don't want to get really honest, because that's why we do confession at the first part of our church service every week like, hey guys, let's talk about how much you will suck. I saw this. I saw this one thing that said you can't offend me. I've said worse things about myself and hymns at church, those old hymns they are pretty good.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we are in Tallahassee and we are hanging out with this incredible family and you saw, I think you posted the pictures of us in the jiu-jitsu with them. I did, I did.
Speaker 2:Pool party? Ain't no, I did Pool party. Ain't no party like a pool party, especially on the south eastern capital of Florida. Ain't no party.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:That's why I didn't write the music. That's what I did, yeah. So we said that we were going to talk a little bit more about this family and maybe we can. You know, scott said that we should reach out to them and I think we'll probably try to do that, but just could not say enough nice things about these people. They were also musicians and they were sort of a family bluegrass band and I want to say one of the boys who was probably 12-ish, probably, I think he played banjo.
Speaker 2:I think the older son played guitar. Did the daughter also play guitar? Did she play piano? And I think the dad played mandolin and they were just like yeah, we're gonna play some music, and it was like oh my gosh. Someone played that mouth thing oh, the jaw harp, that's what it's like right, it's a jaw harp right. Oh, what are you gonna call it? I shouldn't have said it.
Speaker 1:I don't I that's good, because I was like I know it's not what I think it is in my head. I have one changed from the jaw and that's what I've always heard it called and the jew harp.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes, right. So that's probably a, but I think you're right, probably a derogatory term, but I can call upon some of my own jewish heritage, so it's okay that I said it out loud, right, yeah, I but I was.
Speaker 1:But as soon as you said that, I put that in my head. I'm like, oh, we can't say that. But then it is, that's what it is. It's a jaw harp. I think it's a jaw harp. I think it's a jaw harp. So cool, it's a fun instrument. It does so much. I think. The thing again, this is probably, if you've listened to us this whole time, we're okay, I just looked it up, okay, so. Yeah, we're fine, okay, good.
Speaker 2:So the Jew's harp, also known as jaw harp, Jew's harp or mouth harp, is a lamellophone instrument consisting of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue reed. Oh, that's all. I got to click the link to read more. Click the AI link, Bear with me. Okay. No, this is straight Wikipedia, so we know it's true. Um flexible metal or bamboo tongue or reed attached to a frame.
Speaker 2:Despite the colloquial, name and you just most likely originated in syria specifically in yeah, you put it between your teeth and then you kind of yeah, flick it with your thumb, I think, and maybe make some noise with your mouth. Yeah is that cool, so yeah around the mountain. Yeah, well, that's good that's no relation to the jewish people what?
Speaker 1:so it's something happened with the jaw. It was jaw hot first, is my guess yeah, maybe it's a translation thing that happened or something. I think this family epitomizes the trip in so many ways. Who we never would have known, who we were truly related to in Christ, who opened their home, opened their life to us. It felt like we melded pretty seamlessly in.
Speaker 2:This was what we started with when we were leaving. What if we know people across the country who we could stay with?
Speaker 1:And then Clark, that we went out to dinner with or lunch with and I'm thinking of Pastor Paul and Renee in Iowa.
Speaker 2:And I'm thinking of the Bushes in Michigan and Moira, and Tish, Trish, Tish and well maybe they're an exception, not Moira.
Speaker 1:She was great no but exactly In Boston and like all the people, like when you really string it together you start to see this family tree almost get built.
Speaker 2:We should do that.
Speaker 1:That would be a cool thing and it's Christ. That is what it comes down to is we thought, what if we had family across the country? And we didn't? But we knew that there were people who we shared commonalities with, and the commonality is truly um welcoming your neighbor even though you don't know your neighbor. And so it comes down to us, but they knew us in Christ and that was it.
Speaker 1:And I think that this is the part that has changed, probably both of us to say yes, okay, I don't know you or don't know the thing, but I'll trust that in Christ, this is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to trust in you, or to help you, or to open our home or open my life to you because of our commonality of Jesus. And I mean that, to me, is one of the hugest things that we put into action and I think we found to be true. Yes, right, I mean we found it to be true. It was like, oh, here they are, living this life, opening their home to us, having us, we helped them, we helped put the drywall up, we got to be with them and we helped them with all the things around the house. It was just we have time. We want to be with you and let's see what god does, and I think there's so much beauty in that yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I, I think I'd like to think that it has has shaped my life. I know it has. I think, maybe more so now in my life like it took this long for it to come back to me in some ways and maybe talking about it. You know, week after week, reliving this trip, and you know when maybe I've said this before, but when Mary and I bought the house that we're in now.
Speaker 2:It's a good house for entertaining and I think, by nature, mary and I are more introverted types of people but we felt like this home, we were able to have it and move into it and our last house too, you know, by the grace of God and we said like we will use these homes to welcome in the family of Christ wherever we can, and we have hosted a lot of events and parties and I will say, sometimes it drains us to do it, but we have felt like it's important and we're always so blessed by that and so this is a little way right, like all these people welcomed us into their lives and into their homes and allowed us to interrupt their lives and schedules and and that's a good word yeah, I think that's kind of the the of it, because it's easier to not host the party. It's easier to not host the small group.
Speaker 1:It's easier to not just show up to lunch, I mean, it's easier to not like. I think it. It um, christian, christian community should interrupt your regularly scheduled programming and I like that word that you used and we should expect it and go oh, here it is, I'll bet you it's a Jesus thing, right, as opposed to just shake our fist at it. I had these plans for today, like, just be like, oh, okay. And you can just think about how many times Jesus got interrupted, and I'm thinking specifically of Joris' daughter. When he's asked to go heal Joris' daughter and his dad goes because she's dead or she's very close. He thinks she's still alive, but by the time they get there she's died. But part of the reason it took him longer was because on his way was the woman who had bleeding for what is it? 12 years, 19 years, I forget the exact number who touched the hem of his cloak and she was stopped.
Speaker 1:That story happens between jaris's father uh, no, jaris is jaris's daughter, jaris stopping jesus and you have to come and heal my daughter and actually get into the house.
Speaker 1:In between that is the woman, and so it's Jairus' daughter. Jairus stopping Jesus and you have to come and heal my daughter and Abel get into the house In between, that is the woman, and so it's like, oh, he was interrupted by her, wasn't in a rush, stopped those beautiful words like your faith has made you well and her rest of her life is different, because she can now be a part of the community, all of these things come, and then he goes, and it's not too late, although and here's another sermon, like we can just add on right, like most of the time, we think death is too late. Oh, you missed the moment, but Jesus, just no, I didn't. She's just sleeping. Boom wakes her up Like I don't know. In Christ there's just that like there's much freedom to be able to pause and to do ministry and to believe that at the other end they're still gonna be okay because christ isn't there.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it's a, it was, it was lived out I, I don't, I mean I, I don't think this was the intent of today's episode, but maybe we can, we can go there a little bit, but, um, gosh, I'm maybe, I'm not even sure how to quite get there, but that that statement there of like it's not too late she was just sleeping and I, you know, as it translates to the way that we, as believers, view our lives on earth as just part one, yeah, yeah, right, and um, I don't know how this ties in, but it like it. I hadn't thought much about that until, um, a couple of things happened in life recently. This started with our dear friend Summer, who we've mentioned a bunch of times and we'll get her on the show. At some point. Her mother passed away and at her funeral she had a book that she wanted everybody who attended the funeral to have and it was about encountering heaven or something like that attended the funeral to have and it was about encountering heaven or something like that, and it was. It was stories of people who had had near-death experiences. Yeah, and it talked all about that and what they experienced and the similarities between these, and the author was very careful to say like I interviewed people who had nothing to gain by sharing these stories, right?
Speaker 2:Like these were not people who were trying to get a story out there so they could get on good day, la, or america, and like get some endorsement or whatever. Like these are people who were like, you know, I was a doctor, I was a lawyer, whatever this happened to me, like here's my story moving on, um, but it was, i't know. There was something about reading that and I didn't even finish that book. Which story of my life.
Speaker 2:But, um, just reading some of those stories about how I don't know, it just clicked for me that there is side or like part two still yet to come and it's so much better, um, and this one is just sort of in preparation for that. So here's where I'm trying to make it all connect. Is that that is one of the things that we share, in common with all those people that we met and the people that we bring into our homes, who share that right. Is there is this sense of community because we have this, this shared thing in this belief, and we know that and have that joy here on earth, even amidst difficult times, because we're like this is just part one, yeah, maybe, maybe that's too deep, pull me out of it.
Speaker 1:Scott, I don't know no, no, I, I do, I, I think, do. I think that having a larger vision is what you're calling for, and I think that we, as Christians, our vision extends into eternity, and it extends because we have Christ with us. And so what we're experiencing now is riddled with sin, riddled with issues. Now is riddled with sin, riddled with issues, but the hope of the gospel is and this is why I end every worship service with that the rumors of grace, hope and forgiveness are true. It's all going to be okay, no matter what happens, no matter we have an election coming up, no matter who's elected, no matter where the sins go, it's going to be okay. Why? Because of who Christ is.
Speaker 1:And I think that if you can sit in that, then it takes away the hurriedness, it takes away that worry about this thing to the next thing, to this thing, to the next thing. Right, it's like I can rest knowing that Christ has it and he's going to do the right thing. Just say that in a world where and especially Southern California where we are proud to say how busy we are, right, it's like a badge of honor that we say like we should be willing to be interrupted and we should be willing to slow down because it is going to be okay and we do have a lot longer than previously thought of because of Jesus. So, yeah, I think it's a great. It's a great reminder of what we're doing and in so many ways, yeah, I mean, I think we need to at some point and this might be the first of these conversations of just kind of going okay, god, now it's been this long, we've spent a year talking about it what are the things that we want to hold and treasure in our heart and what are the things that you guys do as listeners? What has been a consistent theme that you've heard from us that we might not be referring to?
Speaker 1:But you know, guys, you always say this or you always are reminded of this, and I'd be curious. I'd be curious as to what that is, because I know sometimes the outside view. You guys go yeah, that's the thing you guys do or say or whatever. You haven't been attention yet. No, we haven't, obviously.
Speaker 1:So yeah yeah, right, right, right um, but that's yeah, that's something.
Speaker 2:Here's one that that pops into mind, right like maybe we haven't said this as much and maybe we hadn't considered it, but like we, we talk a lot, we say a lot, like go out and have an adventure, right, but the other side of that is enable the adventure for other people, right like be the people who yeah, who, yeah, says you know what, and and not necessarily an adventure like we took, but like host the party, right, host the small host the small group be interrupted enable say yes to the people enable the thing to happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and why don't?
Speaker 1:we said maybe before, and yeah, go ahead, it's. It's probably another thing, just to point out. But like what if our, our default reaction was yes and we had to figure out why to say no as opposed to I think most of the world's the opposite. I'm going to say no and then you convince me to say yes. Right, that's, I think, our, and that could be sin in us. It could be laziness, I don't know what it is, but our default reaction is wait a second. Why did I say no to that? And I don't know.
Speaker 1:I find myself doing that, parenting all the time, where, like I'll say no right away and I'm like, actually, I, I don't care, fine, you know. Like, yeah, sure, do that thing. Like it doesn't look, you know, but like just that, automatically it must be a bad idea because my kid wants it. Actually that that's a pretty good idea, let's just try it. So I don't know, yeah, I was like, yeah, that's, that's another thing. This is what if? What if our, our yes was easy and our no took like explanation, whereas I think the opposite is true? We expect people to say no, we expect ourselves to say no, so do you?
Speaker 2:think that's true yeah, I'm with you. So is the question? No, I don't think this is. I was going to say the question isn't why, it's why not?
Speaker 1:yeah, um yeah, maybe I should have left it at what you said, but I think I think you're right, or maybe it's yes, why not?
Speaker 2:yeah, is there a good? Yeah? Is there a good reason I shouldn't do this? Is there a good reason? Yeah, is there something that?
Speaker 1:what is the?
Speaker 2:reason I want to. What is the like asking myself what is the reason that my, my, what is the reason that my knee jerk reaction is no?
Speaker 1:Yeah, am I? Just that's the question, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, did. I just get too used to that versus actually thinking. Oh, maybe if I and granted you, you mentioned this, we're parents, yes, tired a lot. It like there's a comedian and asked for something tomorrow morning come on girl why why? Are we talking about? This it's like bedtime. Hey, can I have. I don't care what it is that comes after can I have?
Speaker 1:I'm like.
Speaker 2:No, why aren't you even in bed?
Speaker 1:go to I don't want to parents anymore, like don't want to be in charge a hug dad.
Speaker 2:Oh crap, yes, you can have a hug order that too. Get out of my face, yeah um, yeah, no, it's good, it's probably they were gonna say a lot of. They're gonna say a piece of candy oh yeah, it's gonna like cookies and milk chocolate, milk cake, whatever, yeah they're just doing the last thing.
Speaker 1:You have to get off the couch and get it for me, yeah get out of bed.
Speaker 2:I tell you what, though? I think my kids have learned that, as long as they are willing to do it themselves, the answer is most likely yes can I have some?
Speaker 1:crack cocaine sure, as long as you get it yourself, thought I'm going to handle myself and buy from this board vendor on the corner.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, way to be industrious. Yeah, I don't care, do what you want, can't you see I'm watching TV Another good reason that our wives don't listen to the podcast. Oh, boy, oh boy. Now they'd be like that checks out, that checks out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well done, well done, More crack Avery.
Speaker 2:Yeah, whatever. Just don't call for me to come get you out of jail if I'm watching.
Speaker 1:TV? No, of course, get yourself out of jail. The Bachelor always wins. Well, this is.
Speaker 2:I liked today. It was good. It was a little different, but I hope you liked it. I hope you liked it. Yeah, I hope you liked it.
Speaker 1:So I appreciate, I would appreciate it if you would say things that we haven't been saying, or like summarizing what have you learned? What's something that you've heard that I haven't understood? So, yeah, thanks, guys, cool.
Speaker 2:I'll see you later. Yeah, all right, thanks, guys. Cool, talk to you later. Yeah, all right, next time. Bye.