The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger is a great hero. He went about the West righting wrongs and rounding up outlaws. He saved towns from destruction and heavy-handed rule of a sheriff gone bad. The Lone Ranger – with his mask, silver bullets and trusty steed named Silver – was every town’s protector and every black-hat’s nightmare. He was a rock-star of the old West.

I just have one tiny problem. His name. It’s a misnomer. The Lone Ranger was never lone – he always had his trusted sidekick Tonto at his side. Heck, it was Tonto who saved his life in the first place, thus making it possible for there to be a Lone Ranger.

Tonto was sold so short. Ranger boy gets all the credit when in actuality Tonto did all the heavy lifting. Who tracked the bad guys? Tonto. Who set up the ambush for the Lone Ranger to capture the outlaws? Tonto. Who foils the ambushes set to harm the Ranger? Tonto. Who could hoot like an owl or howl like a coyote to scare the bad guys? Tonto.

But who do the towns-people swarm at the end of each episode? The Lone Ranger. Whose name do they seek to know? The Lone Ranger’s. Who do sheriffs from far and wide seek for help? The Lone Ranger. To whom do the towns people refer when they ask “who was that masked man?” when the Ranger and Tonto ride out of town? The Lone Ranger.

I realize the true reason he is called the Lone Ranger is because he lost his 5 other Texas Ranger buddies in an ambush – making him the lone surviving ranger. (Tonto found him, nursed him to health and now he goes about the West righting wrongs. He hides his identity so the outlaws won’t know one ranger survived.)

But really Tonto should get way more credit than he does. Tonto’s kimosabee (faithful friend) should share the limelight a little. Just once, it would be nice to see the Lone Ranger say to the town folk “Thank you but really, Tonto should get some of the credit too. I could not have done it without him.” But that never happens. Good thing Tonto doesn’t seem to mind.

I don’t know why I am coming down so hard on the Ranger. It’s not like I don’t do the same thing every day. I too have a Sidekick. Like Tonto did for the Lone Ranger, my Sidekick found me sick, weak and a wreck. He nursed me back to health. He literally saved my life. I can tell you the exact moment He did it too. But that is a post for another day. And also like Tonto, since the day He saved my life my Sidekick has never left my side.

Like Tonto, He is my guide and leads me through places where I cannot find my way. (Which is often.) Like Tonto, He takes care of the ambushes Satan has set for me. (Which is a lot.) Like Tonto, my Sidekick is always loving me and forgiving me and having patience with me. (Which is needed a lot.)

But like the Lone Ranger, I don’t reciprocate. I take all the credit. When I am successful or accomplish a goal I guarantee you I didn’t do it on my own. No way, no how. I had lots of Heavenly intervention. My Sidekick was all over it from start to finish. Every talent or skill I have God gave me. The intelligent and wisdom I possess is a gift from Him and what I do with it is a fruit of that. But I rarely admit that in public.

We scoff when we hear athletes say, “I give all the glory to God” after a big win. We roll our eyes when a movie star says while receiving an award, “I dedicate this to my Lord and Savior who made all this possible.” But why? Isn’t that what I am supposed to do – live my live so that it gives glory to God? Then why is it so embarrassing to say a simple public Thank You and a give shout-out to the One who helped me?

I am not a lone ranger. I have a Sidekick. And He deserves all the credit and the glory. I'm not selling Him short anymore. It is time He started getting the credit He so rightly deserves. It's the least I can do for the One who protects me from outlaws.

"Hi-yo, Silver, away!" (Okay, maybe I have a little Lone Ranger in me.)