The Crazy Ones

Daily Gratitude Year 7-Day 206: Today, I am grateful for the crazy ones.

What? The "crazy ones" is a quote from an Apple commercial. Genius. Pure genius. You can see the commercial in the link below. 

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." -Apple Commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rwsuXHA7RA

To change the world takes courage. To think outside of the culture... out of the box... takes not just intelligence, but the ability to see there are possibilities beyond the what is familiar and comfortable. 

The Love of My Life and I recently took a short trip to an unfamiliar place. We used GPS to arrive safely at our destination. It was such a sci-fi moment when GPS first became available to the consumer market. What a difference it makes in our lives today. If you have a cell phone that has the internet access... you have GPS available with a simple connection.

Cell phones are the norm, not the exception. We can change providers and keep our old numbers, if we choose. There are so many choices for staying connected to our friends and family here and around the world. We are living in amazing times because the courageous could not stop pressing toward their dreams. 

I think about those who first heard about Jesus. His life, his miracles, his crucifixion and his resurrection. People were marked as crazy for following a carpenter's son from the humble town of Nazareth. But, those who encountered Him were never the same. 

What about Saul/Paul after his encounter with Jesus?  He acted like a madman according to those who witnessed him shortly after his Damascus road conversion. He had lived through a blinding and a healing. Let's take a look at the impact of his crazy conversion:

"Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”
But their suspicions didn’t slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah." -Acts 9:20-22 (The Message)

But for Saul/Paul, there wasn't enough days left in his life to preach the gospel of the Good News and the hope found in His Jesus, The Messiah. He is our Jesus, too. To choose Christ...  and to follow his instructions to love our neighbor and our God... it looks foolish to many. Yet, for those who make the decision, the ancient way that seems less travel and a little nuts... it is in Him we find peace, joy, contentment and so much more.

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. -John 20:31

Today, I am grateful for the crazy ones.