Archives for November 2004

You meet very interesting people in airplane seats.

I heard one of our directors say that each morning he picks up a New
Testament or a Jesus Film DVD and prays for it’s new owner. Then
throughout the day, he looks for the new owner that he should give it
to. Who is a divine appointment that God has prepared to receive this
gift?

I thought, hey, that’s a good idea for airplane seatmates. Since I find
myself in an airplane seat frequently, I’ve begun to pray for the person
who will be seated next to me. I pray that God will give us a good
discussion that brings glory to him.

Last week, my seatmate was a Christian from Egypt. He’s been in the U.S.
for 30 years, but comes from a Egyptian Coptic Christian background.
Knowing that he might be a cultural Christian and not a born-again
Christian, we had a very good discussion. I left him with a booklet that
he could explore more fully what it means to be a true Christian.

On my return flight, my seatmate was an attorney from Pensacola. He was
reading Philip Yancey’s Rumors of Another World. That was a great clue.
I was more direct and asked him if he was ready for another world if the
plane didn’t make it to our destination. Yes, he was ready. His eternity
was secure, his walk is alive. We talked for the rest of the flight.
He’s a great brother in the Lord and has been involved in representing
some believers in a difficult situation.

I’m not always bold and brave. Sometimes I wimp out. But sometimes, I
have amazing, exciting conversations.

Yes, airplane seats are very interesting. I wonder if Delta realizes
that their ticketing system is creating divine appointments? When I get
off a plane, I want to make sure that the occupant of the assigned
seating next to me knows someone who truly follows Jesus (me!).

Another lesson of the hunt is the value of stillness. Deer hunting is about stillness. When walking, walk slow. Walk quiet. When sitting, sit still. Move your eyes not your head. When you do turn your head, turn slowly.

The goal is stillness, even when turning. Even when walking.

After 3 days of hunting, stillness has seeped into my soul. A still soul is sweet. Stillness is comfortable. And comforting.

Deer hunting is a great time to read the Word. I sit in the woods reading the Word. I call it hunting, but the main activity is thinking. It’s a great place to meditate on God’s Word. Read a verse or two, scan the woods and meditate, read, scan/meditate. Works really well, especially since there’s little wildlife this year. Few squirrels, no hawks, no deer!

This year, I chose the book of James. One year I read Acts. Another year I read 1 Corinthians.

I also am reading some Psalms. Psalms read better outdoors. Maybe it’s because David wrote so many living outdoors.

Be still. Read. Meditate. Yes, deer hunting is good for the soul.

I was deer hunting recently. That’s deer hunting, not deer shooting. There’s a difference. Hunting means looking for, shooting implies seeing. But shooting is not the measurement of success for me.

For me, hunting is a celebration of God’s creation.

My friend Peter commented this morning about how well he’s sleeping. He attributes it to “good friends, outdoors, sitting around the fire telling stories and good exercise.”

Food tastes better. Sleep is better. Life lives better.

We wake up early, eat breakfast, and settle into our spots before it begins to get light.

As it gets just a little lighter, I hear the first bird making its unique chirping call. Then one answers back. Two or three more begin.

Then a different species begins calling. Then a third. God seems to have created birds to begin singing at slightly different times in the mornings. Perhaps like a orchestra conductor bringing instrument sections into the music one-by-one.

Daybreak is more than an orchestra of sounds. It’s an amazing light display.

It moves from dark blacks to grays. As the sky lightens, different colors appear.

The first colors this morning were browns and yellows. The forest floor is covered with brown leaves. The floor seemed to glow at first. Then the yellows of the leaves still on trees. Later the greens appeared.

I recall the physics explanation. Red and yellow light at the lower end of the visible spectrum have less energy and are more refracted, or bent, by the atmosphere. So the first light to hit the ground before sun-up is red and yellow — hence the browns and yellows are the first colors I see.

I think God likes the unique colors of the light he has made. He begins each day displaying them one-by-one.

I know God likes uniqueness because of the trees. There are thousands of trees but no two are exactly alike. Sweetgums, elms, pines, oaks. But no two oaks are exact duplicates. Pines are harder to tell apart, but looking closely, they are unique.

I think God likes unique. It gives me confidence in who I am. In who my children are. In my friends at church. In my co-workers.