Tag Archives: hearing from God

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How I Know God Pulled Me to Colorado

The wilderness preacher's spiritual journey

To get to this most beautiful place you must break through the fence or better yet, head for the open gate!

About 4 or 5 years ago, I was facing a fence that couldn’t be crossed.  I was fed up with church/religion.  Sick mentally, physically, and spiritually from all the “going thru the motions”, the “I’m fine”, the “play church, it’s good enough for me” crowd.  Sharing with you from a person level here……and hoping it makes sense and that you will relate to it.

No, I wasn’t burnt out, I wanted to be on fire!  I wasn’t sick of people walking around and acting like they are dead, I wanted Me and them to come alive with this Christian way of life.  I wasn’t tired of hearing/talking/reading about Jesus in church, but I wanted more than a history lesson.  I wanted more. I wanted a living, loving, real relationship with my Lord and Saviour.  So I asked God could I have one.  I said a MOST POWERFUL prayer to receive this spiritual awakening.

Here it is.  I said, “Lord, HELP me!”   ……… and HE did!!

Out of the blue, I felt a pulling to go to a “men’s retreat”.  (I know now, God had a hand in all this, but at the time I was just seeking answers.)  The Noble Heart had this calling retreat.  Their goal, “helping you realize the life you are designed to live that brings life to others”.  Being what God created you to be!  That’s what I’m talking about!

So, at the “What’s Your Calling” session we had to gather pictures of things that we had a passion for.  Naturally all mine were outdoor pictures, a few pics of family…………… and a picture of two young girls.  Why did I pick that picture?  Well, it haunted me because from their body language I could tell they didn’t want to be there.  Someone was making them sit for the picture. They were being made to sit, stay, do something that they were not the least bit interested in.  They had cute faces, but that didn’t hide the scowl, nor the fact that they were wanting to be somewhere else.  And this……. it reminded me of ME in my church activities.  (Lightning hasn’t struck yet, so keep reading.)

I was asked a most troubling question at this retreat. (shout out to Jeff) Jeff asked me, “Tell us your story.”  HUH??  “Tell us what God is doing in your life, how you live each day being what God has created you to be.”

I’m fifty something at the time.  I’m an answer man at church.  I can quote scripture, give advice, have a prayer for you, tell you what you may be needing to hear.  But tell MY story.  I’ve never been asked to do this.  I broke down.

I broke down because I realized that for the first time in my spiritual life it’s not what I DO.  It’s what I BE.  I have lived my whole life doing good things, helping others, etc,etc.  But now Jeff, Gary, Sam, Ralph, and the other men are being used by God to help me. Help me to understand. My simple but powerful prayer was being answered.  God was more interested in a relationship with little ole me than the list of “good” things I was doing.

Jeff suggested that I get away.  “Religion”, not the true Christian walk had poisoned me.  I agreed.   So did God.

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.  The Lord is with me…….  Psalm 118: 5-6 NIV  

Yep, That’s how I know God called me to Colorado.  You can’t get anymore spacious than that.  But what God did and continues to do for me spiritually is this…………….. He left the gate open!!!!   Woo hoo….Yea boy!

   

Spiritually, I had to come to Colorado so I could concentrate on BEING with God. (not so much on the doing).  I experienced true Christian Love at Horn Creek church camp.  I had a one on one discussion with my Lord and Saviour in an 1800’s era outhouse of all places.  (Best worship service ever for me!)

But most of all, I came ALIVE!!!  I wanted more out of my marriage, my work, my everything.  It wasn’t anything I did, it was all God and His love for me.

So,………. is there a fence between you and a Truly living, loving relationship with Christ?  What’s keeping you back from this abundant life?  It’s a big bad fence, I know, six strands of barbed wire, electric, with razor wire too.  But friend, hear me…….. God knows where the gate is,……and He’s leaving it open for ya!!!  What are you waiting for?

You may not physically be pulled to Colorado like I was, but I’m bettin’ you need God to get you to a most “spacious place”.  That for you could be on the back porch, the woods out back, that favorite tree.  Maybe it’s just beside the coffee pot.  Somewhere where you can feel God’s presence. God’s a lot bigger (and spacious) than we truly let Him BE! Go where you feel His Love, His Will.  It’s where You can just BE!   Then all the doing will fall into place.  And the best part about all that Doing!  It’s all done on the other side of the gate!!!! 

See Ya!!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, living in a spiritually spacious place!

 

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Stomping All Over the Scripture

stairstogod

On our adventures out west this past month, Staci and I stayed at a good friend’s house a couple of days.  Each time we would go up or down the steps, I realized that I was stomping all over scripture passages.  Actually stomping on these words from God……. but in a good way.

How many times do we talk about our spiritual Christian journey being like a physical journey, a trail to walk, a mountain to climb, a path to follow, and in this case, a stairway to climb?  Did you ever think that each and every step we take may contain a message from God Himself?  If we get in a hurry, we may miss one of the messages.  If we really get in a hurry and don’t pay attention, we may miss the message and worst of all, the step itself.  And we fall flat on our faces.  I’m telling you that because that’s what I did on this staircase.

But Hey!, I’ve got a good excuse.  I thought I heard the elk bugling outside so I hurriedly ran up the stairs to get to a window to look out over the mountain.  Some where between “be supportive of one another” and “count your blessings”, my clumsy size 10 1/2 shoes missed the next step.  Missed by that much! Missed just enough to trip, fall, and catch myself on “Forgive and forget”.  I certainly wanted to forget what I just did, but I had trouble forgiving myself for falling on the stairs.  I limped, shuffled, crawled, and staggered to make my way to the window.  False alarm…. no elk, just a coyote, and a sore elbow.

I guess what I’m experiencing here as I rub both elbows and a wrist to make the pain disappear is this.  Have you ever been in such a hurry to hear something from God that you missed the everyday messages, and hurt yourself in the process?  The daily steps that we take to get us higher and closer to the top(God) may just be what we are supposed to be seeing and “hearing”.

I don’t know about you, but climbing a set of stairs sometimes seems to me  like a bother, a chore, just something to take to get from one floor to the next.  Never mind the view as I go, just want to hurry and get to the final destination of the next room.

I think this is what I’m seeing in these steps.  I want to hear from God so bad that I miss all the “little” messages he’s got placed in every step I take.  Steps that I take each and every day.  Everyday steps, boring steps, steps that seem like a bother, a chore, may actually be filled with messages from God.  We mess up and fall spiritually when we make the mistake of missing the “little ” messages because we think He speaks to us only in the “BIG” messages.  You know what I mean.  We want to see the writing on the wall, hear it in the lightening, from some major event in our life.  I’m finding out in my own life, that God is speaking to me in small steps.  In everyday activities. In what sometimes seems like just a normal routine.

That’s what was refreshing to me about these steps I’m stomping on.  I’m beginning to realize that my spiritual journey is one small step at a time.  There  occasionally may be a big event that takes place, but each and everyday there are definitely small steps to take….. one at a time.

But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ Jeremiah 7:23

So,……… in this spiritual journey we are on, let’s focus on something really, really big.  Focus on something really, really important to our lives.  Let’s focus on a major STEP that God has placed in our lives.  What would that be you say?  The next small step.  The ordinary step right in front of you that is leading to higher ground spiritually.  Don’t get caught up in how God is supposed to be “talking” to you.  Better to be caught up in how you need to be “listening ” to God.  It’s one small step of many.  It’s the step right in front of you.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

 

 

 

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Here’s The Story of Why There’s a Wilderness Preacher

 

Click on the short video above to understand better why I write the wilderness preacher blog.  It’s my prayer that you continue to read and watch as we both travel on our spiritual journeys together.

My writings have allowed me to reach out and “connect” with so many of you.  Men, ladies, younger guys and gals, I treasure all of the friendships that have developed.  I look forward to continuing this connection with you.  It’s not about me, it’s about coming alive on our travels and not just going through the motions.  There is a need to share with each other that I pray can come from these stories each week.  Stay tuned……….

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wildernesspreacher, and your friend