Everybody enjoys seeing a beautiful sunset. But for me, personally, they have been painted by God just for me (and you). Here’s why.
I dabble in painting myself. Nothing outstanding, but hey, it’s pretty good. 😉 A few months ago, I painted a picture of a sunset for my mother. I used epoxy paints on a plain piece of plyboard. Nothing fancy,…….. but,………
My Mother and I have a living, loving, relationship. Because we are connected in such a way, she just loved the painting. Here’s the “kicker”. When she looks at the picture, she doesn’t see a sunset, she sees a picture that I painted for her. I was there one day when she was talking about “the picture”. People were commenting that it was a beautiful picture of a sunset. She kept commenting that it was a picture that I painted for her. I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t so heavy, it would be hanging on her refrigerator door!
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
That’s it! Case closed!
I have a living ,loving, relationship with God Almighty through Jesus Christ His Son. Because I believe in Him, I get to experience Him in EVERYTHING each and every day! Lots of people will comment on beautiful sunsets. I comment on what God painted for me (and you).
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. God’s painting is in the eyes of the believer! (personal question……….Do you see what He’s painting for you?)
See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, giving Glory to God through His paintings!!!!!!
That’s the most common phrase from these youth (and adult chaperones) that was said on this adventure. What started out as a high school Senior camping trip turned into a journey where it was possible to see and hear from God Himself. And we like to have died. 😉
One instance of “I almost died” being said was when one of the adults got thrown out of the raft going down the Arkansas River in the Royal Gorge. (Huge rapids for sure!!) As cold as the water was, I’m sure his breath was taken away. I’m positive that he thought he was dying because Staci and I have been in the same position. (thrown out of the boat). The river guides were right there though. If and when things REALLY got serious, they would have taken action. (Hmmmm you know, God sees us when we think we are dying, having the worst day, thinking it’s never gonna get better? AND ……. we have to trust Him to know that if/when things really get serious He will (pull up beside us in that kayak) and protect us from harm. It’s just that when we no longer have control, we tend to start thinking the worst, right?
Another time that the phrase “I almost died” was said was when another adult leader (another adult…… I’m seeing a trend here) became “mesmerized” with the Amish horse buggy ahead of us. As he passed the horse buggy, well he kept looking back at the buggy instead of the oncoming car…… and well, this caused another adult leader to holler “We’re gonna die” as he grabbed the steering wheel to swerve back into the proper lane.
And then there was another adult leader who was concerned about actually making the 7 1/5 mile hike to Venable Falls and back. (I didn’t tell them exactly how far it was going to be cause, well, it’s a long way.) Best to just take the hike one step at a time. And woohoos to her cause she made it! She actually enjoyed it! She’s planning on coming back for a two day campout and wants to go to the summit of the mountains. But honestly those first few steps up the steep slope, she was thinking…… yep, “I’m gonna die.” But she didn’t. She actually “came Alive!”
Then the other adult lady chaperone became ill. (I’ve run out of adults now) In my opinion, the altitude was having it’s effect on her. Being in the back of the van that was dodging Amish buggies, rocks in the road, and wild animals wasn’t helping either. We stopped and got something simple to eat to ease her dizziness. It also helped that we got on a straighter road and she then sat up front. In just a short matter of time, she went from “I feel like I’m dying” to “Hey I feel SO much better. Let’s take a bunch of pictures.” She “came Alive!”
I want to thank the youth on this trip for taking care of these adults. 😉 (I’m not giving names for privacy sake on the internet) These youth………. they are great…….. they are fun to be around……. and they are my new friends! What was crystal clear from this trip is this. They belong to the family of God.
Many people were praying for this trip and it showed. I actually felt all those prayers! From the get go, this was to be a “God Thing”. Sure, we were going to have a fun time in the mountains and river. Lots to sight see. Lots of laughs and good times. But there was also this……….
I felt led to show them an experience with God. Not to just talk about Him, but to actually let everyone experience him. So, it had to be nothing about me. I am just to be the guide remember?
My goal (and my most sincerest of prayers) was to give them an opportunity to see and hear God in everything we did. Not just at devotion time, but in any and every situation. That’s when I noticed it. They were “coming Alive”.
Not sure if they ever said “I’m dying”, but they showed it. Their focus wasn’t on themselves. It was on seeing and hearing from God.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.Matthew 16:24
I saw it! It was a blessing for me to experience. It wasn’t anything super extraordinary. That’s what was so neat about the experience. Just an ordinary time for each person on the hike to have the chance to physically experience what so many of us feel we don’t get to have. I’m talking about experiencing God. Just Him. Just you.
I’ll let the youth share with you what happened. It’s not my place to share. It was spiritual, it was moving, and it was personal. Each one may have seen or heard something entirely different. I’ll give this much away. We had the Lord’s Supper on a mountain top. There was also a “foot washing” in the 38 degree rocky mountain creek of melting snow.
My new friends (and a few older ones), thanks for coming. Stay in touch. Like that wolf and mountain lion we talked about, I’ll be watching and keeping up with you guys.
This is you, and this is God!
One finger is you. One finger is God. What’s important is that the two stay close, stay tight, and stay together. How? Not anything that you can do my friend. It’s by having a living loving relationship with Jesus Christ. He gives His grace, His love, His forgiveness………His abundant Life!, Look and listen for Him in everything around you.
See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, so proud of my new friends!
The path suddenly became so covered with snow that there would be no way to take the group I’m guiding any higher on the mountain.
It went from this:
The path quickly turned to now this!
Good thing that I’m doing a scouting run on the trail. In a few days, I’ll be guiding a group of high school Seniors from Mississippi into the wilderness of Colorado. But,…… on this trail,……. it ain’t happening!
It would have been two more miles on this trail to reach our goal for this hike. Pretty obvious now, that we are going to have to change our plans. But now what?
I’ve promised these students a great time in the outdoors. We are going to hike, camp, explore, fish, and just enjoy nature at its best. But with the snow pack deep on the trail (two to four feet deep still) , our plans must be changed. I promised a great fun filled time. Not a time of torture. Not too many students from Mississippi would consider a two mile hike IN SNOWSHOES to be fun! Whew! We must change our plans.
I couldn’t help but think of a saying I have been hearing a lot of lately. If you want to know if God has a sense of humor, just make a plan. 😉
Doesn’t it seem like too many times, we make a plan for our life, but it doesn’t go as planned.
Oh sure, it might even be with “good intentions”, and dog gone it, it doesn’t happen as you and I have planned. Maybe a big life decision, a plan for a new chapter in your life, just a day trip, or in my case……… a hike up Music Pass Trail ,….. all planned out, but not happening.
Now what? Well, as a guide to others, I now have to rely on my Guide.
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26
Most of the times our plans don’t go as planned is because things are not happening as quickly as I planned. 😉 I’m beginning to see more and more that by me focusing on my plans instead of focusing on God’s Plan for my life,…..well, I have to slow down and wait for God and his good plans for me.
He gave me a good life’s lesson by having this snow pack block my trip further up the mountain. I now have to wait on God and His direction.
In this particular journey, God showed me a beautiful waterfall. I took a different path, scouted it, and this is what I found:
Wow! Pretty! I would not have seen this if I had been able to follow my plan! Now, I’ll get to share this view with the high school Seniors! My plans took a detour because of heavy snow. God’s plans for me led me to another journey to another place to another interaction with Him and His glory. I’m learning to wait. Learning to wait on God. It’s made all the difference!!!!
