september.28.2009

It was a cool quiet morning and the wildlife was just beginning to stir.  As the crickets came to life and the birds began to chirp I found myself praying for a successful day.  Just as I was settling in I remembered that I had not yet tested the pull on my bow with a broadhead on the arrow.  I was a little nervous that the broadhead would not clear with the short arrows I used so I nocked one up and pulled it back to test.  I breathed a sigh of relief when the tip cleared with room to spare and slowly released the arrow.   Just then I looked up and not 20 feet from me there was a huge head with white ears and a rack staring back at me.  Almost instantly the buck turned and high tailed it through the woods before I could even lift my bow.  Three hours later we trudged our way out of the woods and back into the car that was covered in cow manure from the farm and began cleaning up for the long ride home.  Wouldn’t you know it, just then I received a phone call and Carrie who told me she was headed to the Hospital for the birth of our third child.  Dirty from my first day on a hunt I was almost thankful I hadn’t gotten one this day.  I jumped in the truck and prayed that I would make it back in time for the birth.

It’s funny how on the very day I was out to take from the land God brings about new life.  On Monday a little girl was born and I again found myself speechless and in awe of our creator.  One week later, a little sleep deprived and dazed from the concept of raising a girl, I find myself praising God for his creation of new life.  After meeting with our community last night I also find myself pondering the new life given each of us when we trust in Christ.  Jesus, when talking to Nicodemous in the gospel of John says; “unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Now I don’t want to dwell on the concept of being born again as Nicodemous did but rather I find myself wondering if the awe of new life has been lost in our attempts at evangelism?

Evangelism 101 was all about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I remember the class well and as a seminary student thought it was a little strange to take an entire class based on one way to share the story of Jesus.  I can remember the guest speaker who came in for a few weeks who shared a method of evangelism using tracks called “Good news, Bad news.”  It’s the same message we have been sharing since the birth of modernism and an essential part of the story of a redemptive God.  However, if you are like me, you may have shared this message, encouraged someone to pray the prayer and then given them a big pat on the back and said welcome to the club… or something along those lines.  But, I think that maybe somewhere in that whole pray the prayer thing, put another notch on the belt, I forgot that awe that comes with new life!

What a reminder to see a little girl enter the world and to have my heart filled with joy!  What a celebration we have as we love this little girl.  I am inspired again to watch as people come to believe the story, and to celebrate the joy of those who are born again.  The words have such poor connotation in our culture today yet represent so well the change in life that takes place and the awe that should come with it.

just a few thoughts -Cheers