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Have You Taken a Road Less Traveled?

Road Less Traveled

My order is ready, at a town two hours away.  I make the decision to go get it myself.  The best decision I make today…….. is to travel on the road less taken.  The back roads, the dirt roads,……. away from the hustle and bustle.  I met someone who I haven’t talked with in a long while,…..  Myself.

It would have been so easy to hit the four lane, the expressway, and follow the crowd.  I’m sure I could have made the trip in under two hours, (instead of the three and a half).  There was the possibility of sending someone else to get it for me.  Matter of fact, why didn’t I just have it shipped to my home address.  Nope, I’m going to make this decision.  This trip will become part of my journey on Earth today.  And like the poem says, taking the less traveled road has made all the difference.

Here are some of the things that happened to me.  My radio hasn’t been that loud since,….. well, I didn’t know it would play that loud.  With the windows rolled down, (who needs air conditioning), I had the music blasting.  Country songs, a couple of praise songs, and then… Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ down a Dream”.  Yep, it’s sing along, karaoke time.

Stopped at a country store, got a Root Beer.  Thought about, well, for a while there I thought about nothing.  Until an old rock and roll song came on…… highway to the Danger Zone!

It dawned on me that my phone hadn’t rang in a while.  I check it.  Sure enough, there is no service here!  I would later realize that I’m surviving without my phone.  What is amazing to me is that in this modern world how we have become slaves to our phones.  They are mobile devices which means that we must let them follow us everywhere.  Then we religiously check them to see if any messages have come in, to see if facebook has done anything that I need to know that very instant.  I do the unthinkable…… I cut mine off.

That’s when I saw this kid on a bicycle.  He must have been about 12 years old.  As I’m driving past a large graveled driveway, I see him.  There is a mud hole about the size of my truck in this driveway.  I see him.  “Don’t do it” I yelled.  I actually did yell out loud.  (I’m the guy in movie theaters that yells “don’t go in there” to the screen during a scary movie).  As I’m yelling, the kid plows his bike into that big ole mud hole.  It probably wasn’t but a few inches deep.  But his reaction was priceless.  In his mind, he must have jumped the Grand Canyon, or won the Olympic gold, because he raised his hands up in the air in victory.  I laughed from the bottom of my heart.  I just witnessed the glorious victory of a twelve year old kid on his bike winning some gigantious event!!!!!!  And now I’m jealous.

I miss those days when I used to ride my bike through the mud holes.  The days of stopping at a country store for a snack and drink.  I miss those times, especially now in this world we face and live in.  But wait a minute.  It’s my decision.  I can choose how I live in this crazy world.  I can follow the crowd on the interstate, or literally and spiritually, I can take the back road.

(Jesus said), “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to LIFE, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14

That scripture sounds like a “country dirt road” to me, doesn’t it to you?  I mean spiritually we can follow the “interstate” and let life pass us by, or we can make the deliberate decision to take the narrow road.  Follow Christ’s teachings.  Live the Christian way of life.  It’s a narrow road, but it makes me come alive.

As I make my way back home from this trip, it dawns on me.  There is a HUGE mud hole about 5 miles from my home!  I’m not twelve years old anymore, but a part of me has and will never grow older than that.  I don’t have a bicycle, but I do have a Toyota Tundra pick up.  It going to be a thrill to hit that mud and plow right through.  I can taste the victory now.  There’s room in my truck for all of you to join in.  Better yet, get in line.  Join me!  We’ll make a convoy!  A blasting radio is a must!

Safe travels on your journeys.  My prayer is that you spiritually take and follow the narrow (back country) road.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, part time stunt driver!!

 

 

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A Heat Advisory Issued For Your Spiritual Journey

heat advisory

The more I work, the more I get done, right?  You can’t afford to slow down no matter the conditions, I mean time’s a wastin’.

Here in Mississippi the last few days, the heat index has been around 104!  Inside the log barn where I continue building my log home, the temp is more like 110 bacon sizzling degrees.  IT’S HOT!!  It’s so hot, my dog was chasing a rabbit and they both were walking.  It’s so hot the trees down here are looking for shade.

It’s so hot……… My neighbor’s horse got into my corn field.  It was so hot, the corn started popping.  The horse thought it was snow and froze to death. 😉

OK, you get the picture.  It’s hot.  Yet, still I feel that I must continue working at a pace that I must admit is harmful. In these conditions heat exhaustion, even heat stroke can become a major problem.  Why do I kill myself?  We have to realize in certain conditions that maybe we need to slow down, take a break,….. cool off.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.  Psalm 4:8

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Don’t ya think we get caught up in our spiritual journeys with doing instead of being?  We think that the more “good stuff” we do, the better person we are, (and the more God will like us and bless us).  😉  In spite of the conditions around us we spiritually work ourselves into a type of “heat exhaustion”.  It’s so easy for us to want to do things ourselves, our own way, in spite of how “hot” it is.  Well, as a Christian the peace that is inside of us comes from God, not from how much we do for ourselves.  And to top it all, He gives you and me this peace freely and abundantly.

What I’m trying to say is that doing “good stuff” is good.  What’s better than good?  Jesus………  He came to seek and save……..  He wants to share His peace and love.

Grow your relationship with Him.  How?  By taking the warning of a “heat advisory for your spirit” seriously.  Refresh yourself by praying with Him.  Seek a “cooling off” by reading the Bible.  Learn to pace yourself in this “hot and dried up world” by following His Will.

This world and even those around you may be hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch.  They may be hotter than a firecracker lit at both ends.

You my friend will be cool.  Cool as a cucumber.  Joe Cool.  Better yet, Jesus Cool!!!

See Ya!!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher,  writing this while drinking Lemonade!

 

 

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Just Another Bump in the Road

bump in the road

I know, it’s just another bump in the road.  When it happens to others, no big deal.  But it’s happening to you and it’s causing a major delay in your life.

I’ve driven my truck now for five years and never had a flat.  Until now.  I’m a few miles from home when I realize I must have hit something in the road.  Also there was a jarring motion as I slowed down.  What made me realize that I was having a flat was when I got out of the truck, I could here the unmistakable sound of air leaking out of my front left tire.  hhhhssssssss.  Uh oh.  I’m a pretty good detective.  I’ve reached the conclusion that I’ve got a flat.  WRONG!!!!!  Keep reading.

Well, a flat, so get to work, fix it.  Solve your own problem and move on.  I know it’s terribly hot.  I’ll get greasy and dirty.  It’s only a few miles from home.  I have a spare and I have a jack.  I will fix my own problem.

The jack for this truck was new to me.  After a short time though, I had taken the flat tire off, pulled the spare from under the truck and put it on and now I’m ready to go.  Let’s continue on my journey right?  WRONG!!!!!  Keep reading.

I’ll admit there was a sense of satisfaction as I let the jack down.  I had completed the act of changing a tire.  Ya always have to be prepared for situations like that.  I did it.  Now back on the road……….  Uh oh, I notice the left rear tire.  It’s now flat as a pancake.  Two flats at the same time!  Do you think I’m going to let this ruin my day.  WRONG!!…… no, you’re right…..keep reading.

I had to do the unthinkable.  I had to do what none of us like to do.  Obviously I did what I could by using the spare on the first flat, but now I’m staring at a second flat tire.  So as painful as it is I do what for some reason I (and you) dread doing.  I call for help.

In this instance I called Staci.  I let her know where I am located, my situation, and my dire need for some assistance.  I’m up a creek without a paddle.  It’s worse, I’m down the road with two flats and one spare.  You do the math.  “I need help”.  There, I said it.

This may seem just a small run of bad luck to you, but it has ruined my day.  I’ve rolled around under the truck, got hot and sweaty.  Never fails that there is an ant bed where I’m working.  Staci wants to know what I did wrong ’cause how else would I get two flats.  Well, that didn’t sit well with me in the frame of mind I was in.  So I barked at her!  When I got to the flat tire fixer guy, he wanted to spend more time talking than fixin’, so I blew a gasket waiting on him as he fixed the tire.  Three hours later, I finally am back on the road again.  All is back to normal……..except for that frame of mind I’m in.

Confession time here for me…….. I have let the monsters of frustration take over.  I have allowed small inconveniences and a bump in the road to take over my frame of mind…… and it’s not good.  Not good for me,  and not good for those around me.  I have become my own worst enemy.

James 1:2-5 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Should I be joyful that I have a flat?  In that case maybe I should go further and have a celebration because I’ve got two flats.  Woohoo,….. double flats, let’s party!!!!!!

No what the scripture is saying to me (and you,  you know how you are when you hit bumps in the road, so chill). ….. What God is telling us is to count it joy when we face our trials.  Count it all joy means to stay away from THAT frame of mind.  As I look back, I’m thankful that Staci took time out to come get me.  I’m glad the tire repair guy can fix my flat.  I’m happy that it’s been five years since I’ve even thought about a flat tire.

I’ll never be joyful about a flat, or any “bump in the road“, and neither will you.  That’s not what the scripture is saying.  But “count it all joy” will keep my mind from getting in the ill and whiney mood.  Count it all joy will not necessarily change my situation, but it can change my mind.  Change my mind from a frustrated pile of mush to a positive faith growing brain allowing my faith to help produce steadfastness.

Funny how we let the small things in our journey “ruin” our day.  Funny how we tend to see the negatives and how we focus on them.  Funny how our own mind can turn from being happy and even joyful to well, being our own worst enemy.  Funny how, well really none of this is funny.  It is a serious step that we must take.  Steadfast (I looked up the definition) means steadily directed, fixed in direction.  What direction is that?  Onward and upward.

Count it all joy that a flat tire, a bad day, a hurt finger, a “whatever you are going through right now”,  can cause you in some small way to grow your faith.  Being in an ill mood can sure put a damper on my and your spiritual growth.  Being in the right frame of mind changes everything, especially how you handle the “bumps”.

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher,  part time flat tire fixer guy