There's a good chance many people across the world have heard of Tombstone, Arizona. It has a mythical place in the American Old West mystique, most well-known as the site of the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral (which is a misnomer, but it sounded better than "Gunfight in the alley down from the photo studio"). The famous epitaths at Boot Hill have attracted some notice as well: "Here lies Les Moore, took four slugs from a 44. No Les, No More."
Perhaps the town's slogan might catch one's attention - "The Town Too Tough To Die" - but it is how that town truly earned that distinction that has taught me some valuable lessons for us all.
You see, like hundreds of western boom towns, the discovery of gold and silver in the area caused a fairly well-developed town to spring up seemingly overnight, but when the mines began to flood and the gravy train was gone, the majority of the population evaporated, leaving a handful of souls behind. I have been to dozens of old boom towns, and most are ruins or just a spot on a map anymore, but not Tombstone. They hung in there, and today the town is doing well.
But why are they an exception?
First, they never forgot the spirit that really forged Tombstone. They have embraced their heritage and spend a lot of time showing it the respect it deserves. They have stayed together in the face of adversity, and become truly united as a community. There are restaurants and attractions that are in direct competition with each other, but not a single soul will speak poorly of the shop next to them, because they all succeed and fail together. Unlike Disneyland, the town is not a job, but the life of the citizens there, and they wear their citizenship as a badge of honor.
I have seen churches and study groups fracture in the face of difficulties that make people want to turn tail and run, but I think if we can all embrace our heritage as followers of God and close together as members of a wonderful community that respects that which as blessed us all so abundantly, we can triumph in all the ways those hardy souls in Tombstone have. Let t be our faith in God and his abundant love always be "too tough to die."
Perhaps the town's slogan might catch one's attention - "The Town Too Tough To Die" - but it is how that town truly earned that distinction that has taught me some valuable lessons for us all.
You see, like hundreds of western boom towns, the discovery of gold and silver in the area caused a fairly well-developed town to spring up seemingly overnight, but when the mines began to flood and the gravy train was gone, the majority of the population evaporated, leaving a handful of souls behind. I have been to dozens of old boom towns, and most are ruins or just a spot on a map anymore, but not Tombstone. They hung in there, and today the town is doing well.
But why are they an exception?
First, they never forgot the spirit that really forged Tombstone. They have embraced their heritage and spend a lot of time showing it the respect it deserves. They have stayed together in the face of adversity, and become truly united as a community. There are restaurants and attractions that are in direct competition with each other, but not a single soul will speak poorly of the shop next to them, because they all succeed and fail together. Unlike Disneyland, the town is not a job, but the life of the citizens there, and they wear their citizenship as a badge of honor.
I have seen churches and study groups fracture in the face of difficulties that make people want to turn tail and run, but I think if we can all embrace our heritage as followers of God and close together as members of a wonderful community that respects that which as blessed us all so abundantly, we can triumph in all the ways those hardy souls in Tombstone have. Let t be our faith in God and his abundant love always be "too tough to die."
