Category Archives: Being What God Created

Posted on

Dealing With The Fear and Hate **(language warning)

Two young ladies, in their early thirties, pony tails bouncing, dressed in fashionable “exercise clothing”, wearing those expensive “walking shoes” and wearing those ear pods to listen to their music, are ahead on the trail. It’s pretty obvious they are from the big city, and I’m guessing out for a day hike in nature. Behind them is this sixty year old man, disheveled, wearing work clothes and boots, probably smells of the chainsaw that he’s been using to clear downed trees in the area. The older guy picks up something from the forest floor and begins chasing these attractive young ladies. Is this me? Well, let’s just say “I have this friend” 😉 Let’s listen to what the conversation is between the two girls. The old guy is close enough that he hears the conversation as well. It goes like this………

“Hey, you know the old guy that we passed on the trail back there? I think he’s following us.” The the other young lady dressed more in blue than in the pink her friend is wearing, removes her ear pods and says, “What did you say?” Pink tights says, “That old man is following us!” The blue tights girl turns around and sees the old man behind them. “OMG you are right! What does he want?” She turns around again and this time the old man is waving something at her. “We need to get out of here! This is creepy!”, Blue says, as her voice begins to show fear. Pink tights girl turns around to look for herself. The old man yells something at her which she doesn’t understand. Now she is gripped with fear. Pink says, “He’s getting closer,…..let’s jog a little ways, he won’t run after us”. Pink tights and blue tights begin jogging the rocky trail…………. and so does the old man.

Now both ladies are feeding off each others fears. They know they are in the wilderness on this part of the trail. There is no phone service here in this area. They stop jogging but continue to walk. “What do we do?” asks Pink to her friend. Blue replies, “I’ve got a can of bear spray in my pack! Reach in and get it, but hurry cause he’s getting closer!” The old man is probably only 100 feet away from the two young ladies now.

Pink reaches in and grabs the bear spray. Both young ladies stop and turn to face the old man who is only about 50 feet away now. He tries to say something to them, but they cut him off. Blue yells, “You better get the Hell out of here! My friend has bear spray and if you come any closer she will use it on you!”

These two young ladies are scared to death! Again the old guy tries to say something but the girl screams at him once again………..”I SAID FOR YOU TO GET THE HELL OUT!!!!!!……………. and you know what? He did. This is how he did it.

He threw an object to them as he said, “M’am, you dropped your keys”. Sure enough it was a keyring with three keys and a car door remote on it. He immediately turned and walked away from them back down the trail, shrugging his shoulders not understanding what the big fuss was about.

Blue tights saw the key ring land about 5 feet from her. She immediately looked into the pocket of her pack. There was no key ring to be found. The old guy truly had found her keys. Both girls breathed a sigh of relief and shared a moment of nervous laughter. “Thank you sir! Sorry! Didn’t know what was going on! Thank you!” The older guy was by now long gone back down the trail. But he heard what the young ladies said.

This example is so spot on with what is going on in the world today. Allow me to explain. You and I who are believers hold “the keys” to a world that is going down life’s trail. When we try to share these keys, the keys of the Way, the Truth, and the Life with Jesus Christ, we become the objects of fear and hate. People are afraid of Christians. Why? Because they truly don’t know us. They are filled with preconceived ideas. We are different. We have something they don’t have. We have and hold the keys!

So literally we are here to “get the Hell out of……people” Let’s Love the Heck out of people, pray the Heck out of people, and throw the Heck out of all our keys God has given us to people we come in contact with on this spiritual journey. How do you and I do this? God has given us our own set of keys. Keys of hope, love, forgiveness, protection, etc, etc, on and on. Well shoot, God has given me so many “keys”, I feel like the high school janitor with his 37 keys on his belt! And,…… And the most significant thing is that God has also given His “keys” to everyone. They are just too busy to notice. They are too hurt to see. They are so full of hate and fear that they CAN’T get the “Hell” out of their lives long enough to grab God’s amazing gifts that are free for the asking. Sadly they have lost their way as well as having lost their “keys of life”. So,next time you feel like someone is wanting you to get the “Hell” out,……… by all means do it! For their sake!

Matthew 5:10 – 16 the Message version “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.  “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.  “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

So literally we are here to “get the Hell out of……people” Let’s Love the Heck out of people, pray the Heck out of people, and throw the Heck out of all our keys God has given us to people we come in contact with on this spiritual journey.

“Dear Heavenly Father, first of all Thank You for helping me find my keys. Help me to share You and your Love to all those people who for some reason or another are telling me to get the Heck out. I am so thankful for this Christmas season that’s coming up. Be with all who may be reading this. Give us protection, give us strength, and give us opportunities to throw YOUR keys to those that need them. Amen”

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

Posted on

True Joy

See that smile? The young child just caught her first fish. What was just an ordinary day at camp suddenly turned into a lifelong memory filled day at camp when the young girl suddenly shouted out one of those most famous of fishing quotes,…… “I got one, I got one!”

This past summer I got to witness a moment of true joy, joy that had to come from Heaven. You see that smile? The young lady on the right is one of the church camp’s fellows/interns. Their “job” is to provide the guests with, well, any and everything. The “fellows/interns” are an amazing group of young people. They commit to giving of themselves for one year here at camp. One full year of serving God by serving man in this most beautiful of mountain camps. One full year of Bible studies, serving meals, cleaning, preparing for the next family group, praise and worship, making lifelong friends, enjoying God’s majestic creations, and picking up straw and pine cones (an inside joke 😉 ) Today her “job” was to help this family go fishing. It’s pretty obvious that she too was filled with “Joy from Above”.

You see that smile? The young lady on the left is the Mother of the young child who just caught her first fish. Now, get this. She caught her first fish when her Mother took her fishing at this very same pond at this very same church camp 27 years ago. A tradition continues!!

You see that smile? Well, it’s the one I’m wearing behind the scenes. This past summer I got to take lots of folks fishing. I know, I know, it’s such a terrible suffering that I must endure having to take folks into the mountains here to fish. But what I’m fixing to say is so true. Yes, I take people fishing here in the mountains, but honestly I take them to experience God! Ask any or all of the families, or dads, or children, or grandpas,…….. or the Mother of this child. Ask them did You feel God’s presence today? Was the joy that you experienced something that had to be supernatural. A joy that could only be described as a “taste of what heaven is like”.

That’s my “job” here at the church camp. Well, my job description on paper is that I’m the groundskeeper. You know, chainsaw work, weed eating, landscaping, (and picking up straw and pine cones).

But here’s a little secret. I’m here to help people experience God. To truly see Jesus and His Love, to feel His presence in these mountains and streams and pond here at church camp……that’s my mission. Here’s how it works.

This particular day, I’m cleaning up the property of fallen limbs from the storm. (I call it dancing with the chainsaw,…… I dance a lot!) I notice several people at the pond fishing. This particular family is fishing, but they are using the wrong bait. Oh, the bait would be great for 5 pound bass, but not for the small brook trout in this pond. I go back to the truck and get a few flies that I know these fish will bite. Something about fishing over the years, I enjoy seeing others catch a fish as much or more than me catching one myself. I tell the young child to try one of these baits. I share one of another of those famous fishing quotes,…… “The fish will bite this!” The young Mother helps her daughter put the bait on the line and casts it into the pond. Now we wait.

The wait is not long. Fish grabs hook. Child shouts “I got one, I got one!” Everybody goes from half asleep to “Battle stations”! “Get the net”, another famous fishing quote is heard in all the business of landing her first fish. While all this hectic activity is going on, I run over with my phone and begin taking pictures. My daughter has taught me a lot about photography. It’s all about the angle. It’s all about the lighting. But today, …..today,…… it’s all about the moment!

Look at the picture. The moment was captured on that image. Oh sure it’s a picture of someone fishing. But, it’s more. It’s a picture of true joy. Joy like that can only come from one source…….. God.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Joy is a state of being. Happiness comes from circumstances. That’s why fishing brings joy to so many people. Even those days when the fish aren’t biting there is this sense of joy. But man when they do bite. Woohoo!!!!!

Now let’s talk about you. What’s your “job”? What’s your mission? This story shares some of the “behind the scenes” things that happened to make this fishing adventure come alive. (Example: Getting the right bait) You guys that are reading this have so many opportunities to help others see and experience God’s Love and Joy! (Examples: a kind word, a helping hand, sharing with another person’s burden, on and on) If you can spread a little joy, especially with all that’s going on in this world, there will be someone who has that smile of “Joy from Above”. And that someone, may even be YOU!

“I’ve got that Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart…..” See Ya Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, fishing guide

Posted on

Carving a Pumpkin Into A Christian

Watch this video from a few years back. Definitely needed in today’s “dark world”.