JEDEDIAH SMITH AND ME

 

 Jedediah Smith has been one of my historic heroes for some time.  The reason?  Even though he was a mountain man, mixed in with piles of less-than-righteous explorers and hunters, he focused on the Lord.  He was seen with a Bible, was known as pious and very straight.  He refused to have any sexual relations.  He didn't drink or smoke.  Rarely had a sense of humor that fit in with the rest of the guys.  He didn't cuss.  He did what he thought was his leading by the Lord.  And he was all over the west portion of our country.  He was going over hills, around rivers and lakes, imprisoned in California [since he was considered an invader], and chased by a variety of civilizations.  He drew maps and put pieces together for the future members who would be hitting the trails to expand the U.S. territories.

Was he perfect in terms of how we would recognize conflicting cultural issues today?  No.  But, if nothing else, he was  young-ish -- 23 when he began to travel and 32 when he was murdered.  Yet he did more in that short time than most of us could even imagine doing in our present days... and we've got cars to drive, good solid roadways, cell phones that help us contact others if we are in any kind of need, and credit cards if we are out of cash.  He [and the others who were hunters, fur traders, trappers, explorers] had very little on a regular basis.  Yet, they accomplished so much that prepared our future.  Some good, some evil... but much done.

I have a book about him called "Men Against the Mountains" that was published in 1965.  Interesting.  Well written.

When traveling across Montana this post is in a rest area and I've seen it a number of times.  And, considering the mountains, the rivers, the hills, the boulders, the winter storms [with strong wind, ice, and piles of snow], the conflicts, the danger of being attacked by animals [which often occurred] and having a lack of helpfulness -- no doctors, hospitals or clinics -- I'm always amazed that he and the others made it.

The only bit I would like to see on these history posts was his Methodist faith, which was very strong and intensely focused on worshiping and serving the Lord.  Back in those years, the denomination was fairly new and very missions-oriented.  Jedediah fit into it quite well.

When I was wondering what I could share today, when looking through my hundreds of photos from the trip, this jumped out at me.  Not filled with easy sweetness and light, but a good reminder of what was done for us to spread out and prepare as a nation.

... And, in my heart, how we as individuals and families can step out to serve the Lord in ways that will reach out and plant seed into the lives of those nearby and far away.  That's one of my main goals of life.  Has been for years.  Will be forever.



 

DOING GOOD...GOING ABOUT.

In Spring, 1967, I was staying in East St. Louis and beginning to work at the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, 

based on helping the impoverished and gang-struggling people.  It was also supported by the National Methodist Church organization.

When I was in the manager's office, glancing at her desk, there was a small piece of paper under the glass cover.  It said this:

I read in a Book
    That a Man called Christ
        Went about doing good.
It is very disconcerting to me
    That I am so easily satisfied
   with just
           Going
                       About.

For all these years, various times I have had this in a purse, or in a Bible, on a wall, on the fridge.  I have also given it to others.

Until this very moment, I had no idea who had written it.  I put part of the phrases on Google, and found the story of the author.  I was very surprised.

The man who wrote it, Toyohiko Kagawa, was a Japanese Christian pacifist.  He had become a Christian as a young man through Presbyterian missionaries that were teaching him; he was an orphan and they took him into their homes.  He went back and forth between Japan and the States and to a variety of theological colleges.  He chose to live in poverty and he worked however he could to provide for the poor.  He tried to draw more Christians to care for others.  AND he was in prison at least twice while standing up for changing that was needed in Japan.

He wrote more than 150 books and was nominated for both the Nobel Prize in Literature [1947,'48] and the Nobel Peace Prize [1954, '55].

He died in 1960, 7 years before I saw this quote.  And, 45 years later, I finally know who said it.  [The author was  "Anonymous".]

What a surprise and a blessing to know his story and his history.  And he ain't just a poetry-oriented person.  He truly knew what people in many circumstances were forced to walk through... and he wanted to walk with them.

I'm impressed.  I'm touched.  I'm convinced it is going to continue to be one of my main forever-loved proses.