Category Archives: Friendship

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Stay Connected

leak

I’ve got a Leak!  I’ve got a hundred things to do today.  Now I’ve got a hundred and one things to do.  As I drive down my driveway, I notice water coming from out of the ground.  Uh oh,  The water is spewing from the exact spot where my water line to the house is buried. Uh oh.

A quick trip to town and I’m back with shovel, pipe repair kit and glue, the all important hacksaw, and most important………. me wearing my repairman’s hat.  I’ll fix it myself!!!!

Naturally this happens on a very cold day.  I start digging through mud and water.  Uh oh, I find the pipe.  Uh oh, it’s seriously being choked by tree roots that have grown around the pipe and the joint that hooks the two pieces together.  Uh oh, there’s the leak.  After I move all the mud and dirt away, the water now shoots straight up (and into my face)

A quick trip to the barn and I’m now back with an axe to chop away all the tree roots from around the pipe’s joint. It’s fascinating to me how slowly growing tree roots can over time cause pressure……. pressure enough to break the bonds of this pipe joint.

But it’s Dan the repair man to the rescue!!!!   I’ll just chop away those pesky roots and ……..uh oh.  I nicked a hole in the pipe with the axe. Dang it!

A quick trip to the neighbors to borrow a cutoff wrench so that I can turn off the water at the main meter.  Uh oh I better tell Staci that the water is going to be off for a while. She asks what the problem is and my reply is something like “I’m not sure, but I’m sure it won’t be off for long.”  Uh oh……

I cut the pipe and remove all tree roots from around the pipe.  Honestly, it was a wad of roots the size of a basketball all tangled and woven in a tight mass around this pipe joint.  I placed the repair kit union over the cut pipe and join the two pieces together.  I get to yell what every repairman loves to yell.  “YEEAAAA, I fixed it!”  I turn the water back on expecting to load up all the tools, wash all the mud off of me and my clothes and continue on my day of the other 100 things to do.  Uh oh…….Oh no, I must not have tightened the repair union enough because now it’s leaking like a screen door on a submarine.

A quick trip to borrow Daddy’s pipe wrenches, and I’m back kneeling down in the muddy hole that has grown to the size of a bathtub.  Uh oh, no wait…..,this time I do fix it.  It’s stopped leaking.  “I fixed it” I whispered this time instead of yelling, just so I wouldn’t jinx it.

Lamentations 3:40 (NIV) Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

Staying Connected……. it’s one of the most important things that we need in our lives.  All kinds of circumstance can become like those roots and choke and put pressure on our connections with God.  Uh oh.  Also the connections we have with other people can begin to “leak”.  Could be slowly over time things start “growing around the pipe”.  We don’t even realize it until well, until the “uh oh” moment.  Now we got to do some repair work.  And that’s when it gets muddy and nasty and well more “uh oh’s”

So, constantly examine your ways and test them.  By that I mean does it seems that you and your relationship to God is not as strong as it should be, or even used to be?  Uh oh, maybe there’s a leak that needs fixin’.

At the same time, what about those relationships with others in your life…… family, friends.  Over time has the connection started to leak.  Better put your repairman’s hat on.  It’s fascinating but also troubling to me how over time small things can “turn a drip, drip leak into a busted pipe” between people.  Uh oh.  Even more troubling is how those leaks and “breaks” between people cause even more leaks and breaks and broken connections between you and God.

My prayer is that you will have few “Uh Oh” moments.  But they happen.  When they do, realize it will be muddy and nasty.  Connections with other people need to be repaired.  There may be a piece of pipe or let’s say a part of your life that will not be the same because of the damage.  You yourself may even get “nicked” in the repair process.  But all in all we are all in this together.  Stay connected in some way.

I am a repairman for my connections in my own life and spiritual journey.  I have come to realize that God’s got the “glue” that works best for me to use, on myself as well as others.  If I focus on staying connected with Him, my connection with others becomes more manageable.  Always will be uh oh’s, always will be leaks.  How we repair these connections will determine if our source of Living Water becomes interrupted or can continue free flowing.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, plumber, professional “Uh Oher”

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When Mama Ain’t Happy ……………

mouse

Funny how such a small thing can cause a rift the size of the Grand Canyon between a loving and happy husband and wife.  In other words, we have a mouse.  Get rid of IT!  Cause if Mama ain’t happy,……… ain’t nobody happy.

Staci (Mama) was in our shop in the garage.  First of all, she shouldn’t have been in there.  It’s my man cave.  I keep all my tools there.  Also it’s where the bird feed and cat food bags are stored.  She was in there I guess looking for somewhere to put the last of the Christmas decorations.  And that’s when she saw the little fellow.  He came wigglin’ out between the cat food and bird food bags.  That girl can run!  She came in the house ranting/yelling/hollerin/ telling me in no uncertain terms that there was a mouse in the shop and that I needed to do something about it.

Silence……… Then I did it.  I said it.  “Sure honey, I’ll fix a little cardboard box for the cute little squeaky to live in.  That way he won’t have to worry about our cat.”  “Mama” then proceeds to describe this tiny creature as something you would see in those Zombie movies.  Fangs, claws, teeth and a horrendous tail.  I commented that the cat should be able to take care of this “Zombie” Rat.  She commented that the cat was worthless as a mouse catcher.  Stupid Cat!   Silence……. Then I did it.  I said it.  “Baby, don’t worry about a little mouse.  He won’t hurt anything.  What are you getting so bent out of shape about.  Here, have a snickers!”…………………………………….

Now, I’m in the doghouse.  The cat’s in the doghouse.  The dog…….. the dog is in Mama’s lap eating popcorn while they watch a movie on TV.  I on the other hand have been sent on a mission to rid our property, all 43 acres, of any and all varmints.  Stupid cat, it’s your fault.  Stupid me, it’s my fault.  Stupid mouse. It’s on now.

Traps are set.  Feed bags are tied up and put in Tupperware containers. But the rift has been created and I’m not sure what will lead to a successful outcome to this catastrophic event for “Mama”.   I actually catch one. I  consider this a success.  Mission accomplished.  The cat and I are celebrating and dancing.  Hive fives and paws.  I bust in the house with the good news.  We Got Him!

But this is for “Mama”.  When you “solve” the first problem, i.e. catching the mouse, you  hear this.  “I bet there’s more where he came from.  They are probably even in the house.”  ” Go set more traps…. and quit jumping around dancing with the cat“.

Silence………. Then I did it. I said it.   I said “Yes M’am.”  Hey I’m getting smarter.  Smarter than that stupid cat anyways.

Ephesians 4:2,3  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

When mama or daddy, or brother, or sister, ain’t happy…….. could this be an opportunity for you?  An opportunity for you to put forth a little effort to keep this unity of the Spirit going in the right direction.  Better than allowing a rift to develop.  I’ve noticed that lot’s of times when something trivial turns into a big problem, it’s because other trivial problems have built up inside.  I’ve noticed that in others because I’ve noticed that in me.

Let me challenge you to make an effort to keep the peace.  Go out of your way sometimes to help someone in their situations.  And learn to say “Yes M’am”.

p.s.  Sweet potatoe fries make a good mouse bait.  Caught 4……  Mission Accomplished……….Mama’s happy……. “Yes Ma’m”

See Ya!    Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher, log cabin builder, successful trapper

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Why There’s a Turkey on Airport Road

turkey

What’s the story behind this hedgebush being pruned every year into a “Turkey”?  A couple of years ago, I was cleaning the fencerows at the end of my driveway of weeds and brush.  There were a couple of bushes that had grown underneath the fence.  The cows had munched on them giving them an odd shape and appearance.  I’m cleaning up the fencerows of all this undergrowth and these two bushes stick out.  I know that they are just ordinary bushes, but I see the shape of an elk and a turkey.  I’m betting that I am the only one at the time that sees anything in these bushes because every one else that drives by on airport road is probably too busy to see anything but maybe two scraggly, weedy bushes.  Shoot, anybody speeding down Airport road probably doesn’t even give a thought to what’s under the fence, much less to what I see.

So, instead of killing these bushes, I decided to be a little creative.  I prune and cut limbs, branches, and twigs to the shapes that you see here.  Honestly, I do this because I enjoy being creative.  I see something in this bush, which makes me want to bring it out even more.  Will my creativity be accepted and highly thought of?  Will my pruning efforts be considered works of art?   Showing others what I see in the ordinary…… is this considered a noble effort?  I don’t really know that answer.  Are my  bushes that resemble an elk and turkey perfect? Well, I do know the answer to that. It’s a big NO.  Hey friends, if it was perfect, then no one would believe that I did it! 😉  That is not my motivation.  I’m motivated more by what I feel on the “inside” to somehow be shown to the “outside”.

Last year two ladies stopped by the house.  I was in the front yard working on the lawnmower, (so Staci could mow the yard).  They wanted to know if I am the one that “grows” the animals at the end of my drive. ” Yep, that’s me,” I replied.  The lady then goes into how every time she drives by on airport road she gets a feeling of calmness and peace by slowing down to see the elk and turkey.  She thanked me over and over for doing this.  It brings a small amount of “calmness” and “peace” (those are the precise words she used) to her travels every morning she drives by.  I thanked her for sharing her thoughts.  She must have really meant it, by  taking time from her work and day to come tell me how this affected her.

When she left, I walked up to the road staring at the bushes for a while.  I was looking for that calmness and peace she was talking about.  I found it.  I also sensed God’s presence.

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12New International Version (NIV) 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

You see, in some small way, my whittling on these simple bushes brings a satisfaction to my inner most soul.  Why?  Because I see something in the ordinary that compels me to bring it out into the open.  It is a most spiritual thing for me.  It’s a most personal thing for me.  It’s between me and God.  If others slow down as they drive along Airport Road and are encouraged by what I’m doing, then my giving Glory and Honor to God is also helping and building others up.  Being blessed by being blessed.

It’s the same process going on with the wilderness preacher blog.  I share what I see.  Usually it’s in the most ordinary of things.  Why do this?  It brings a satisfaction to my soul.  It’s a most spiritual and personal thing for me, between me and God.  If you are encouraged by what you read on the wilderness preacher as you travel your spiritual journey, then my giving Glory to God is also helping and building you up.

Consider me as your guide.  A friend (Hey Gary!) shared the other day that every good movie, song, or story  has this classic setup.  A hero is living his life, meets a guide who shows him/her something that can happen in his/her life.  The hero faces a challenge (is he up to it?).  There is a consequence if he doesn’t, but a reward if he does.  The story is if and how the hero lives out his life.  Example Star Wars movies, pretty much any western movie, all Hallmark channel movies,  etc, etc

Here’s what I’m trying to prune and carve from this.  Let me be your guide.  You be the Hero.  Live your life facing the classic setup and challenge of facing the monster inside of your head that asks “do you have what it takes?”  Realize that there are consequences if you choose not to do certain things, but also realize there is a reward in choosing to do and BE certain things.  Sound complicated.  It is.  It’s called life.  But that’s why I recommend taking one step at a time.  Let’s do this together.  It’s not about me.  I’ll be the guide, but more importantly, you be the Hero.

My pruning a bush into a turkey, my telling a story with scripture each week as the wilderness preacher helps as your guide to bring you another step closer on your own spiritual journey.  I accept this position as the guide because it’s what God has created me to be.

You, living your everyday life with all it’s decisions and challenges.  You are the Hero of your very own life.  Will you accept this position?  You are writing your own story of your own life.  It’s what God has created you to be.  What in your next chapter?  Stay in touch.  I’m curious how all you heroes are going to face the next challenge.  And don’t forget……… I got your back!

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12New International Version (NIV) 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.