WHAT'S REALLY PROTECTING YOU?

 

Have you ever slept in a tent before? If you have, you know what a relief it can be to crawl into a tent at the end of full day in the outdoors. If not, let me describe it to you. Imagine you’ve just spent a beautiful day taking in all the outdoors has to offer; maybe you’ve explored or maybe you’ve relaxed, but one thing for sure is that you breathed in a bunch of fresh outdoor air. Even though it’s refreshing, surprisingly it makes you very tired. At the end of the day, you zip open the tent door, crawl in, close the door zipper and snuggle into your sleeping bag. You feel safe - safe from bugs, wind, rain and any creepy crawly critters. But, are you really “safe”?

If you really think about it (best not to think about it when you’re deep in the woods trying to sleep in a tent), the fabric that makes up a tent is a fraction of a millimeter thick. Your socks are thicker than that and probably offer more protection!

Images curtesy of the scary internet

All of this came to mind on a recent back packing trip with my son. While sleeping in a tent, something woke me up. I’m not sure what actually woke me, but now I was wide awake and trying to fall back to sleep. While laying there nestled in my sleeping bag I heard something moving around outside the tent. We were in the woods and a lot of creatures are nocturnal, so I wasn’t too bothered by it because I was safe in the tent, right? Suddenly it got quiet and I figured whatever it was outside wandered off. A moment later I heard the sound of something sniffing just on the other side of the tent by my head. By the volume of the sniffing, it was bigger than a mouse and smaller than a moose. Maybe it liked the smell of my shampoo, or maybe it was hungry, either way I didn’t want it getting too comfortable. So, I tucked my chin to lower my voice and said, “HEY”. The creature bounded away and from what I could tell, it was smaller than a bear or a wolf. Soon after I was able to fall back to sleep in my cozy and safe shelter.

We walk around this world exposed to all kinds of threats and danger. Thankfully, there is something with us at all times that is even thinner than a tent, yet more powerful - the Holy Spirit. I am grateful to know the Holy Spirit is always there for me.

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.

LET THE LIGHT SHINE IN

 

The night sky can be so dark at times, especially when there’s no moon. Add to that, being in the woods and the trees block most of the stars. It can be so dark that you can’t see your hand directly in front of your face. Darkness equals absence of light.

One’s mind can really play tricks on you when you can’t see anything. You can hear “something” walking nearby on the ground or “something” rustling overhead in the trees, however because of the darkness you can’t tell if it’s a good or bad “something.”

My favorite time in the morning is just before sunrise. The darkness slowly starts to give way to the light. The sky lightens just enough to separate darkness from light. It’s a time where there is a definite line between the darkness and the light. Everything is not completely visible yet, but there is enough light to make out the difference.

As the light continues to overpower the darkness, those “somethings” become more apparent as to if they’re good or bad. With the increasing quality of light, the quality of your vision increases as well. Eventually the light completely takes over darkness and everything can be seen crystal clear. You now know if those “somethings” in the dark were looking to harm you or just waiting f the light as well.

It’s a relief to have the light illuminate everything for us so we can enjoy the beauty it has to offer.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

DID YOU HEAR THAT?

Typically, the best time to hunt is in the morning, which works great for me because I’m a morning person. I like to be in the exact spot I plan to hunt well before sunrise. I love being in the woods at sunrise!

When it comes to turkey hunting, I’m usually sitting on the ground with my back leaning against a tree. For the first half hour or so, it’s usually pitch black. I can’t see anything, but I can hear everything. While directly on the ground right amongst the critters, sounds can be heard all around and from above. The sounds around me range from the light scurrying of field mice, a heavier waddling of a raccoon or opossum, to the slow methodic foot placement of a whitetail deer or coyote. The sounds come from above and can be from an owl hooting or the rustling feathers of a turkey waking from long slumber. When it’s completely dark, none of these things can be seen but I know they’re there. It’s important to pay attention to what I hear to know if I’m in the right place or not.

Sometimes, one of my sons or my brother have been with me, and that’s helpful to get a different perspective on the exact sound. My hearing has worsened over the years and things may sound a bit different to me. The question, “did you hear that?” is asked a lot. This is helpful to confirm whether nothing was heard, something was heard, or it was exactly what we both thought. The owl’s “who, who a-whoo.” can sound like “who cooks for you.” And where do you think a Chickadee got its name from? Just listen to their song, “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.” A honking goose can sound like a clucking turkey and a squirrel rustling in the leaves always sounds like an approaching deer.

It’s the same as listening for and hearing what God is trying to say; maybe it’s a light scurrying in your soul, perhaps a casual waddling nudge, and most of the time it’s exactly what you thought you heard.

The most beautiful sunrise I've ever witnessed. God didn't have to say anything

Hebrews 2:1 We must pay most careful attention, therefore, to what we heard, so that we do not drift away.

BE IN THE MOMENT, BE AWARE OF THE MOMENT

 The northern lights, or aurora borealis as they’re technically called, have been put on my bucket list recently. Let’s simply call them aurora for the rest of the blog. An Aurora is a natural light display in the earths sky, predominately seen in higher altitudes.

I’ve been thinking a lot about them lately and since my smart phone seems to know what I think about before I do, I’ve been seeing a ton of pictures and ads for viewing them. My specific bucket list item is to literally be directly under them and have them dancing all around me. I’ve seen videos of this and it’s like a flowing stream overhead of green yellow and red gaseous lights. To get this type of experience one would need to be in Alaska, Canada, or the Sweden/Norway/Finland areas in winter months. Until that happens, I’ve been following aurora forecast sites for my area of North America, and the opportunities are usually pretty slim. The forecast ratings are in a 1-10 scale, with 1 being you are not going to see anything, and 10 being you are in the thick of it. A few days ago, we had a forecast of 5, which means you may see something…or you may not. So, my wife and I grabbed some extra cloths and headed north a few hours. We ended up on the edge of lake with our son who lives in that area.

 

We arrived right at sunset and were able to enjoy the sun saying goodnight over the frozen lake.

For the next two hours the focus was on the northern horizon and wait for what could be. I set my camera phone up on a tripod. Just so you know, a camera phone is not the best device for night pictures, but I did have the “nightcap app” to help. As we stared to the north, a few other star gazers slowly joined us. While they walked up behind us, I looked to the south and saw some early stars popping out in the sky.

Once again, the focus was back to the northern horizon. We squinted our eyes and stared intently. Every so often we’d asked each other, “do you see anything?” The answer was typically, “maybe that’s something over there.” Still, we focused to the northern horizon. At one point I stretched my neck upward and saw how full the sky above was with stars.

And then back to the northern horizon we focused our eyes. We slowly started to see something; a slight glow just beyond the trees, and then another faint one to the right, and then a very faint streak above them. Could this be it, is this the beginning of the spectacular light show we had been waiting for? We stared for another 45 minutes and nothing more happened; in fact, it started to fade. The other star gazers had already left and my wife’s feet had been frozen for too long, so we packed it up and left.

Thankfully, there were moments when we stopped to look around and look up. Had we focused on the one thing we thought we should see the entire time, we would have missed the other things that were actually right on top of us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

DOING WHAT'S RIGHT, EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD

 

Recently, the entire United States went through an extreme artic blast, with record- breaking low temperatures and snowfall in places that haven’t seen in decades, if ever.

 

When it’s extremely cold, -20F to be exact, it’s tough to get motivated and get out of a cozy bed, let alone leave the comfort of a warm home and go to work. On many occasions my job has me working outside, and that can make it even less motivating. I really have to get myself pumped up for the occasion, telling myself, “it won’t be that bad,” “you’ve done it before, you can do it again,” and “at least I’m getting paid to do this.” These pep talks usually help enough to overcome the miserable idea of what my day may entail, and so I go about the day fighting to stay focused and on task to get the work done and not freeze a finger off. By the end of the day my body is chilled to the bone and thoroughly exhausted. By the time I arrive home from work, my wife will usually ask, “how’d it go?” to which I reply in a grumpy voice, “fine!” I fight to stay awake through dinner and take a scalding hot shower to try and warm up my bones.

 

On the other hand, if it’s a day to be filled with hunting or any other outdoor adventure, things would play out dramatically different. I would be awake before the alarm goes off, jump out of bed hurrying to get out the door, thinking to myself, “I can’t wait to get outside!” With many layers on and one eye frozen shut I would say, “it ain’t that bad!” Dreading the day’s end, I talk excitedly with anyone, sharing how the day was and how much I’m looking forward to the next time.

 

Working in the cold.          Playing in the cold

Isn’t it interesting how easily we do the things we want to do, but struggle to do the things we need to do?

 

Galatians 6:9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

A TIME TO BE STILL

 

Man, those tree shadows sure are long, and it’s the middle of the day!

I was recently in the woods hunting all day, which is fairly common for me this time of year, when I noticed these incredibly long shadows. Being in the woods before sunrise allows time for me to slow my whole life down. It’s where I like to slow down my thoughts and only focus on the here and now. It’s also the only place where I’m able to do this, and believe me, I don’t take it for granted. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also thinking about whatever game I’m hunting at that moment, but the rest of the world feels like a galaxy far, far away. When I’m in the moment, I notice bushes that look like a deer, birds fluttering by my head that startle the daylights out of me, and a bird of prey silently gliding through the trees looking for its next meal.

Sometimes, like this particular day, there really wasn’t much to notice. There was minimal wildlife activity and the bushes looked like…bushes. However, being in the here and now allowed me to notice the ridiculously long shadows in the middle of the day. In the middle of a hot summer day, the shadows from trees are a lot smaller and don’t give much relief from the heat. But, when I could have used a little warmth, there wasn’t much coming from the sun because it was having a hard time getting much higher than the tree tops to the south.

In the upper Midwest we are deep into fall, and winter is just around the corner. The sun rises later than in the summer months, and sunset feels like it’s only a few hours behind. In the middle of summer, there is plenty of daylight to perform any activity outside for 16 plus hours. Life can feel so busy trying to fit it all in during that time.

But now, in the late fall and winter, there isn’t much daylight left after work. Sometimes that may feel like a bummer, but it can also be a really good time to slow down and be in the moment. A time to focus or re-focus on things that may have been pushed to the side during the summer busyness; a time for us to glide silently through the tree shadows of life.

 

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

WHAT DO YOU WORSHIP

100th blog post! Who would have thought I had so much to say? Well, several people know how much I have to say, especially my wife. This blog was started to share stories of my outdoor experiences and how it’s one of my main ways of connecting with God. It has been a little over four years since the first post. I am grateful for the friend who encouraged me to move forward with it, and my wife who proofreads each one to make sure I don’t sound like the grammatically challenged person I am. And thank you to everyone who reads it, shares it with your friends, and gives me feedback. I truly appreciate it! Anyway, this is not an awards ceremony; if it were, the music would have started playing after the first sentence…see, I do have a lot to say.

God’s creation of the outdoors has always attracted and impressed me - from the brilliant trinkling stars millions of miles away, to the shaded cool blades of grass, and all the magnificent and unique creatures that inhabit it. I can see the beauty in all of it (except snakes, snakes just creep me out)! The uniqueness and variety in all creatures and plants seems too perfect to just be happenstance…us humans included.

Spending time in the outdoors has really become a passion of mine. Whether it is a casual walk down the street, a hike through rolling bluffs, or hunting in any terrain, I love it! It came to mind recently, that as much as I love and appreciate the creation of the outdoors, it’s just one of the many greats on the list of things that God created. It is a majestic “thing” with grand splendor, but not as grand as the creator Himself. It is easy to get distracted and worship that one person, place, or thing we desire, but it is good to remember who gifted that to us.

 

The first book of the Bible is Genesis and it starts with chapter one, verse one, and it tells us:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.”

“In the beginning God created…”

“In the beginning God…”

God.

May peace be with you all.

A gift from my father