Our holiday season was made extra special with visits from family, friends, and some former staff members. One fine young man is living at the ranch this winter working with us when we have need and working in town when we don’t have guests. What a treat it is to have someone to help us set ski trails and do maintenance projects while we’re busy taking care of guests. A favorite young lady from last summer spent her winter break helping us in the kitchen and in the cabins, and that was incredibly beneficial to our spirits. She gave me a book for Christmas that I’ve been savoring as each page seems to have important points to ponder. Authentic Faith by Gary Thomas has the subtitle: What if life isn’t meant to be perfect but we are meant to trust the One who is.
He says, “When our happiness is dependent on what happens to us, and when our self-focus determines our daily mood, our joy will necessarily be limited to whatever good thing happens to us. But when we learn to truly delight in the welfare of others and rejoice in what God is doing in their lives, the potential for increased joy skyrockets.” The author sites his mentor, J.I. Packer, as saying, “The happy state which we know only rarely, is the unselfconscious state in which all our attention is being given to the people around us, to the situation outside us, and we’re forgetting ourselves in the service of others. You see that to perfection in the life of Jesus.”
Perhaps this is why we love our lives here at Latigo Ranch so much. We have unlimited opportunities to serve others whether it’s guests who come to stay or staff who come to work. I’ve always known this ‘potential for increased joy’ hinges on my ability to serve others without thinking more of myself. Randy and I will ask each other what the best part of our days were just before we fall asleep, and the majority of our answers have to do with reaping the blessings of serving others. I think about the happiest people I know, and without fail, they are great servants.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2: 3-4
Written on a snowy afternoon from the best dude ranch in Colorado