Those that infuriate and endanger James the most need the most good treatment.

 

Are you riding for Jesus the nice man asked?

 

The clerk rudely said, I'm holding it for you! James....

 In Mackinaw, in what was once a very upscale Outdoor Store, now a $10 per item outlet for tourist stuff, there was an expensive pair of pants 50% off that were one last piece of important gear that James had not replaced since the fire in Mississippi. He gladly grab the item, but Nature Called very insistantly and none of the stores in Mackinaw seem to have restrooms, relying on a few public ones. James needed to go, and approached a clerk and asked if she would hold the item while he went to the restroom. She took the item and looked at him blankly. Very pleasantly James said, is it okay if you hold it? I'm holding it! Gratuitous rudeness.

No one's favorite response, including James. But he was so glad with his inclination. How sad that she's been treated so badly in her life, was his reflexive internal reply. He was so glad, very glad, Upon returning, to try and show a little bit of the kindness that the individual so badly needed. Maybe it didn't make any difference to anyone, except James.

Someone's got to take care of you James, it might as well be me.

 This from Vinny who several hours prior I had called when I learned that the bridge Authority could not and would not provide an escort for me over the bridge. That was quite an unpleasant surprise but there it is. At the point he contacted Vinnie, but tow truck company, there was still some possibility that the bridge Authority would provide an escort as they did two weeks ago, but it looks efficiently unlikely based on the phone conversation with the authority, that James began to explore options. The first place he called was Vinnie's tow truck place was only a mile and a half from where he was sitting at a gas station eating a microwaved breakfast sandwich and sipping some coffee. It'll be a hundred bucks with my large truck which looks like it what it will take for your rig, Vinny said, and that seems like a fair price to James, but a horrible amount of money. Within 20 minutes James decided to take the pressure off the bridge Authority and called me back and said let's do it. Two weeks ago when they did ask or James, two events happened that had nothing to do with that ex escort, but may have clamp things down. There was a motorcycle rally and two different drivers were killed on the bridge. May have had nothing to do with them tightening things up, but may have. They also mentioned the fog today and construction that had all but one lane each way closed down.

After dealing with another Bridge customer after a phone call, he met me at his place and within 20 minutes we had the vehicle up on the back of his flatbed, and I was pleased to find that with Khanh's wonderful cyclone motor system we could easily climb up without even needing to be pulled.

We were together in the cab for probably 20 minutes crossing the bridge. The toll folks knew him and they saw saw on the back of his rig and remembered that, gave a big smiling thumbs up.

I shared with him as much about the mission as he seem to want to hear. He mentioned how lots of folks are moving from the cities up to this area after I said what a beautiful area I thought it was. People have had it. The world is really imploding he said, because we've taken God out of our culture. I told him I desperately wished I could agree but I cannot. The problem is we've taken God out of our churches and replaced it with them being Social Clubs, clubs to beat up on other cultures, clubs to beat up on people, economic clubs. He immediately agreed though I'm not sure he had thought about it before. And I shared with him other similar things and he did not respond much but again my reading was he didn't mind hearing it and I thought I owed it to him to share. 

Upon arriving at our destination I offered my the credit card, let's get it off the truck first he said. We did, uneventfully. Then I offered him the card asking him, please remind me what did we agree on? It'll be $50 he said, no no no no no no no I said. It'll be 65 or 70 okay? Someone's got to take care of you James, it might as well be me he smiled. I don't know why he said that. But it was definitely said out of respect, warmth, support, maybe even appreciation for what he had heard this mission was about.

Pray, I do, that you've seen this movie. Life is Beautiful. The single greatest view of Jesus Joyful Way.

https://m.imdb.com/video/vi1772788505?

 

When he attacked Sol and me with his vehicle, I wished I could treat him with some kindness.

 

If there is a people on Earth that follows Jesus Joyful Way, it is his sisters and brothers the Palestinians. I've just realized that and it is as plain as day. So of course we're crucifying them.

 

General update, medical Etc

 

So currently I expect the next two months to look something like this. There is nothing cast in stone and if anyone thinks that James meeting with some along the way would be a very good thing then he would be more than joyful to consider altering.

Are you a Christian the man respectfully asked? No, just a man Jesus....

 

Austin. Not by works, but by work.

 

My body wants a place up here. It would be living death.

 

I had the mission wrong. Teaching Jesus Joyful Way.

 

What you're doing is good, the man said to James.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1AfAPz6F5hyk4tKo9

Too risky to Head West with the mega drout forest fires.

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/iWbV2dwergsxzYrp9

Two sacred encounters, two gentlemen my age.

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/LmbpXsS2QfhAHCQn8

James, what the Dickens is your mission? Mission: Teachings Jesus' Joy

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KQ9Kqy1qoBAYCAFdA 

By the way James, who the heck do you think you are to do this? James replied, who the heck do you think you are not to make the attempt?

How curious I'm no longer mastering current events....

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UuUNK5yumRGUGnCUA 

James fixing Sol and two young men stopped.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/de11BWhATMhZhed6A

 

Are those slogans? The elite legal Notre Dame Catholic scholar asked, oh Jesus writings?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1koUbY4hJ11L27WP6

 You are one of a kind, the man mentioned several times during our 25-minute interchange. But he seemed to be saying it more to himself than to me. I think he's never encountered anyone that was one of a kind, as opposed to one in a cult. I'm sorry that that sounds cliche but I think it's pretty much to the point. Jesus was one of a kind. We were all born to be. Jesus is inconceivable, and uninteresting, to this person.

If you would lose your life for the sake of the good news that we're here for the joy of serving, you will gain it.....

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TWJzuxZ4ZLft15Mi6

 37000mi at 10/hr is 3700 hrs, or 300+ waking days