Two Pleasant Surprises: High Plains Drifter Revisited

Dreams from the LORD 2007-2010
17 November 2010

About five days ago I was hitchhiking south of Columbus, Montana and this guy picked me up. He drove me to Absarokee.

I told him that I had been hitchhiking for a number of years. I also said that my book High Plains Drifter was published two years ago. He said that a friend of his from Forsyth, Montana saw my book at the public library there and had read it. I never told him that my book was at the library in Forsyth. That was a pleasant surprise.

18 November 2010

This morning I hitchhiked from Victor, Idaho to Wilson, Wyoming. I got dropped off at this gas station in Wilson and I bought a candy bar there. As I walked through Wilson heading towards Jackson, I saw this guy walking to his vehicle that was parked on the shoulder. He looked at me and I looked at him; I thought I recognized him.

He pointed at me and I walked up to him and said something like, “I know you. You’re the guy from Scotland.” (Actually, I think his dad was from Scotland.)

We shook hands and hugged each other. His name was Ian. Ian had picked me up about a year ago and he took me to his place in Wilson and we had a cup of tea; we had a great talk. I think Ian has picked me up twice coming out of Jackson.

So Ian and I were talking and he said, “I read your book and loved it!”

“What?!” I exclaimed. “Wow, no one has ever said that to me before. Thanks. I hope you got something out of it.”

Ian told me that a friend of his bought a copy of High Plains Drifter for him.

We talked for a while longer and then he said that he and his friend were going up to Teton Pass to go skiing. We shook hands and parted company.

God’s timing is always perfect. I could have gotten a ride from Victor to Jackson, but no, the Lord had me dropped off in Wilson instead. It was good to see Ian again. I am guessing I will run into him again in the near future.

An American Pilgrim: Some Reflections on High Plains Drifter
Book Review:  High Plains Drifter
High Plains Drifter (typescript)

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This is from my Author’s Note page, High Plains Drifter:  A Hitchhiking Journey Across America:

“It was the will of my heavenly Father to hitchhike in thirty-nine states.  I did some hitchhiking in 1986 and 1987 and also from 1996 to 2000.   In that time I went coast to coast fourteen times.  The shortest time on the road was three days; the longest time on the road was eight months.  There were times when I was forced to take a bus (like in Wyoming because hitchhiking is illegal); sometimes I would take a bus in cold weather or someone would buy me a ticket to help me out.  But for the most part, hitchhiking made up 99% of my travels throughout the United States.

“I was able to share my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with countless people, the Lord taught me many things on the road and much spiritual bondage was broken on my journey (hitchhiking itself is a type of fasting and prayer).

“I am eternally grateful that the Lord protected me and provided for me in my travels.  Because of my hitchhiking experiences, I have come to the conclusion that there are no accidents in the Kingdom of Heaven; God’s timing is absolutely perfect.  With God all things are possible—like hitchhiking through a blizzard in the panhandle of Texas.”

Tim Shey’s website:
http://www.wallsofjericho.50megs.com