No matter where I travel throughout the United States, I am always proud I hang my hat in Oklahoma. Sure, New York City has the big city lights; Los Angeles is home to the movie stars; everything is bigger in Dallas and they are always sleepless in Seattle, but as for me, I’m in love with red dirt, thunderstorms, wide open spaces, the absence of traffic and the people of Oklahoma.
You know you are in Oklahoma when you turn on your windshield washer mister and the water never touches the glass because the crosswinds are so strong. Another sure sign is that there are more pickups on the highways than there are cars.
Mention you are from Oklahoma to folks from other states and they are almost always certain to bring up football, the Oklahoma City bombing and Native Americans.
Every state is known for something. Some are nice to visit. Others are considered fly over states. You know the states airplanes fly over to get to more popular destinations.
When you think about it, people are a lot like states. Some people are flashy and require a lot of attention. Others look and act like movie stars appearing to have it all together, when in reality their life is nothing more than a big act.
Some folks just aren’t happy unless what they have is just a little bit bigger and better than everyone else. Some people I’ve met couldn’t careless about the needs of others. They are asleep at the wheel when it comes to social consciousness. What matters is them and nobody else.
And then there are the people we love. Those we bare our soul with over a cup of java. Those we choose to take with us on a long road trip. They are the ones who are there for us during life’s storms. The people we yearn to live life with.
The state you call home is a matter of choice. The person you become is more of a state of mind. What state are you in? Are you the kind of person others call friend? Is it your telephone that rings in the middle of the night when the person on the other end of the line needs someone they can count on to have a listening ear? Is yours a life that ushers in the presence of Christ in everyday conversation? Is there undisputable evidence that yours is a life yielded to Christ?
What people say and think about Oklahoma is sure to differ. What they say and think about you is much the same. Nonetheless, I can think of no better witness than to be recognized as a follower of Christ living in the great state of Oklahoma!
