Tag Archives: nature

Posted on

Relying On God

This blackbird (aka- grackle) catches my eye. He’s sitting next to the gas pump as if he owns the place. As soon as my truck stops, he does his little parade walk over to the front of my truck.

I immediately begin a conversation with him. “Little birdy, what are you doing walkin’ around my truck at this gas station? Shouldn’t you be flying south for the winter”? Luckily for me, all the other gas customers are too busy in their daily hustle, and hurried lives to see me talking to this bird. Well, Staci sees me and does her eye roll thingy. She’s seen me have conversations with birds and animals before. But hey, I’ve seen her roll down the window as we drive by a donkey and yell “Heeehawww”! So there. 😉

This little birdy doesn’t have time for conversation. He’s busy. Busy eating the grasshoppers that are stuck on my front grill! I’ve got it figured out! This blackbird just sits and waits for the vehicles to pull in, then proceeds to dine on the buffet that is before him. That’s a smart bird.

As my truck is fueling up, I get within thee to four feet from the bird. He’s not scared of me. He’s too busy picking my grill clean of whatever bug swarm I’ve driven through. We say our goodbyes, I get back in the truck, watch Staci roll her eyes again at me (and the blackbird) and continue our travels.

Driving away from the gas station, I look back. There goes the blackbird walking over to the next car. He’s jumped up on the car’s grill. Another bug buffet is on tap. I’m thinking,…….. I need to be more like that bird.

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

Why be more like that bird? Time for me to confess. My prayer conversations to God usually include requests and a few “can I have this” items. It may be some little bitty somethin’ or it may be something big. What’s good is that there IS a conversation with God about my needs and wants and desires and on and on…… What’s bad is I’m beginning to sense is that there is no “eagerly watching……and waiting.”

Kinda like the kid who goes into the candy store with his father. The child says, “Daddy, can I have these jawbreakers”? Before Dad can reply, the child has grabbed a handful of candy. There’s no interaction between son and father. It’s been taken for granted.

Here’s the deal. Maybe all of us should be like this blackbird. He’s used his own smarts to realize there is food at the service station. Then he eagerly watches……and waits. If I use my own smarts to get my spiritual food, I do think that’s good. But when I lose sight that God is my provider and not me,…… well, that’s when it becomes bad. I rob God and myself of that “eagerly watching” that is so important in this living relationship I have with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Lord, I’m sorry when I’ve taken things for granted. Help me with my understanding that watching and waiting are not necessarily bad things. Watching and waiting can and should be times filled with eagerness and anticipation of what You are doing next God. Could You help me to see my times of waiting as times to rely on you. To rely on you with eagerness and excitement. Amen”

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

Posted on

Why I See Things That Other People Don’t

This is what people saw as they walked by on the sandy beaches of the Gulf near Mobile Alabama.

That’s what most people saw. Some crazy guy getting super close to a Blue Heron, just to take a picture. Hmmm…… but this is what I saw………


Same picture right? Well, yes and no. It’s the same picture, but taken from different point of views. Look again.

What they see……

What I see……

They see some guy sneaking out onto the sand to get within just a few feet of a wild bird. They probably notice me and my awkward stance. They probably are wondering when the bird will fly away,….. or when the bird will ATTACK this guy for getting too close. They may notice the sunset, but my guess is that they are focused on the what ifs….. What if this guy gets too close. What if this guy has to run away from a bird attack. What if his phone doesn’t take good pictures. What if this, what if that.

Look again…

What I’m Seeing…

I saw a beautiful sunset in the making. At that moment, I saw this Blue Heron wading and fishing in the shallow water. I wanted the silhouette that this bird had formed to be in the same picture frame as the sunset. That’s why I eased down closer to him. I was in a world all to myself. My focus was on the colors of the sky….. focus was on the bird….. as well as the texture of the waves of the water. I was so focused that I saw a buoy (channel marker) off in the distance. (Got to get that in the shot as well.) My focus was not on me and my awkward pose……. but on a mystery that was right before my very eyes…….. and in front of my phone camera as well. I was “in the Zone”. No, it wasn’t that I was after a great picture. It was more than that. I saw something so beautiful that somehow I wanted to be a part of it. I want in on that sunset. Let me get closer to the bird as well.

Why do I say it’s a mystery? Well, you tell me. What is it about sunsets that cause us to pause? What is it about a big bird wading in the water just a few feet away? What is it about the colors and texture of the water as it makes the waves? This is something that to me, grabs your soul and causes you to be amazed. This picture I’m calling a mystery causes you to ponder, to think, and to smile from deep within. Can’t explain it, so I’ll just be content to call it a mystery.

Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope… Reveal to them the glorious riches You are Preparing…… (this is where the song “Open The Eyes of My Heart” comes from) Ephesians 1:18

Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Saviour means that you become more focused on Him and not on your own “awkward” ways. You start “seeing” with your heart instead of your eyes. God’s truth, His Hope, His Glory begins to be seen instead of the “what ifs”. I probably can’t explain it any better. Then again, it’s a mystery that’s not to be explained as much as it is to be chased. I’m wanting to “see” with my heart. I’m wanting to see using God’s eyes and see things as He sees them. That’s what makes me and you see things in a different way from lots of people.

So chase that beautiful picture of a sunset. Chase after God Himself. Get “in the Zone”. Focus on Him my friend.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see You. I want to see You. To see You high and lifted up. Shining in the light of Your glory. Pour out Your power and Love, as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy. Amen

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

Posted on

They That Wait On The Lord,…… Are Called Crazy??

The is the rainbow trail, very rocky and definitely not smooth and flat. Also it’s in the edge of the wilderness and is at 9000 ft altitude. Question…… Would you run, hike, trot, jog 100 yards on this path? How about one mile? How about, get this,…… 100 miles! You are reading this correctly! In the middle of our 10 day backcountry elk hunt/ fishing trip, we witnessed a most unbelievable site! People were running, hiking, trotting, this trail for a total of 100 miles. These people are crazy! Teenagers, young women and men, even a handful of 70+ year olds were determined to make the distance of 100 miles. I know, I agree, it’s just a crazy thing for someone to do. I’ve got it figured out now though. They do this because they are waiting……….

One elderly lady passed through our camp late at night as she was continuing her quest for 100 miles. (She looked 75 – 80ish) We asked her how she was doing. Her words were this…..”I’ve done 84 miles so far, looks like I’m gonna make my 100″. Those people are CRAZY!!

My job on this journey into the wilderness was to get my guys close to some elk. We were archery hunting. We definitely got into elk, but not close enough to bring meat home. These guys from West Virginia that I had the opportunity to “guide” were amazing! They were fun to be around, enjoyed God’s beauty in the mountains, and weren’t afraid to walk. They actually clocked in over 60 miles while on this trip. Unlike the runners, their walking was up and down the mountains, (9,000 to 12,000). Many days while hunting, they would hear an elk bugle and they would take off to its location. Didn’t matter how far or how hard! These guys were CRAZY!

Don’t let the picture fool you. It would take most folks 2- 3 hours of heavy breathing to climb this mountain. Would you do it? Most of you are saying no, cause that’s just crazy to climb that for a shot at an elk. But I’ve got this figured out. They do it because they are waiting…… and I guess that makes them crazy!

What about this picture? Would you hike a grand total of 11 miles to be able to fish this lake?

I made it to the top Macy Lake in the middle of this wilderness. A most beautiful place at 12,000 feet altitude. Caught two of the biggest cutthroat trout I’ve ever caught. Would I do this steep, 11 mile long trip again? Yep, why? Because I’m crazy and besides that, I’m waiting…………

Isaiah 40: 29-31 [The everlasting God, the Creator] gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,…….

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength: They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Do you see a common thread in all these “crazy” people? They are definitely crazy (me included), but they are all also waiting……… Allow me to explain.

Here’s another example of waiting. I’m in the middle of WAITING on my daughter. She’s getting married in three weeks. It’s an outdoor wedding, which means that I’ve been truly busy landscaping, weed eating, graveling roads, and “yes ma’m”ing any and everything she needs.

See, waiting is not necessarily sitting on the couch eating ‘tater chips. It can actually be actively involved with whatever process is happening. The runners are waiting for that “runners high” to kick in as they are on the 35th mile. The elk hunters are waiting for a close up shot as they stalk up the mountain. I’m waiting on that big fish to hit my hand tied fly. Hope is eternal!

I’m now waiting on my daughter to enjoy her special day…… even as we enjoy this busy time preparing for what’s to come. Each day is about to wear me out as I wait on her “hand and foot”. Ha! But each day is a joy because my waiting on her is giving me the opportunity to wait for something even more joyful!

Waiting…….. look at it a little differently. Actively involved with current activities while expectantly looking forward to MORE. Bigger and better things. That’s my take on me waiting upon the Lord. I’m not in a state of “doing nothing”. I’m in a state of “being”. My focus is on the Lord and His Will for me. If in my spiritual journey that means I “run for miles”, or “stalk straight up a mountain”, or try “eight different flies before I find the right one”, then it means that I am “waiting on the Lord”. I’m following Him, BEING with Him, and fully expecting more to this life as time goes on.

I totally agree that there are times when we wait on God by slowing down, by just praying, by just having a quiet time by the creek. But what I came to realize while in the backcountry for ten days is this. They that wait upon the Lord,……… are crazy! They are not after a goal, but rather the journey. They are crazy! They don’t think like most people of the world…….. they are focusing on having the Mind of Christ. They are crazy!

They are waiting! Not by idly passing their time, idly flipping through the channels, or going through the motions. They are actively in pursuit of God and His activities. Actively chasing where He is leading them. Actively waiting! They are CRAZY!

God, please give me and my friends the strength to follow You. Amen

I’m waiting on God. Actively waiting that is. Call me crazy! What about you?

Crazy wilderness preacher Dan Ainsworth