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I See Where To Go….. I Just Can’t Get There.

This butterfly knows where to go. He can actually see where he needs to go. He can see through this problem stopping his journey. But in no way can he himself actually “go” through his problem and be rid of it. He’s going to have to have help. This butterfly is “trapped”, “confined”, “stuck”. There’s no way out! Ever been there?

I’m putting up new screening on the porch at the log cabin in Mississippi. I’m halfway completed with the project, when this butterfly flies in. He comes in where there is no screening yet and flies to the inside of the section of screening that I’ve just installed. You can see that the situation has made him totally confused.

Now, I don’t know how big a brain a butterfly has, but it’s running on overload at this moment in his journey. He can see the flowers in the yard. He can see where he needs to go. But he can’t “see” how to get out of where he’s trapped. That poor little butterfly brain is thinking, “all I gotta do is fly from this side to the other side”. It’s not going to work little butterfly. You can’t fly through the screen. You can see through it all day long. But, you need help.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

I’ll save you little butterfly. He is so fragile,…… but so beautiful. What I do is this. I gently cup my hands around this delicate creature. He’s now inside my grasp. I’ve got him. I feel like I’m saving this butterfly from his own torture. He now won’t have to constantly fly into the screen over and over and over,……. thinking that somehow he’s going to fly free.

Carrying him outside for his release into freedom, I’m thinking. We need orchestra music playing in the background. This is a tremendous moment in this butterfly’s life. He will be ceremoniously lifted into the skies. I’ll open my hands and raise them into the blue sky and he will victoriously fly into the open air. “Freedom !” I yell. Wow! This has really become theatrical and there will probably be a whole movie made from this one scene of freeing the butterfly. 😉 Emotions are running high as I open my hands, the butterfly sees he can leave, and now it’s up to him.

He flaps those beautiful wings of his and he’s up and away. I’m yelling like it’s a football game and he’s breaking away for the touchdown. “Go butterfly Go!” (Hey, nobody’s around to see or hear me.) And he does! He flies away making a big circle (making a victory lap I suppose). He continues flying and flies…………well, flies right back inside the porch to the inside of the screening where he was in the very beginning. Once again he’s stuck.

Sometime you are the butterfly. You get “stuck” in life. Oh, you can see where you should be. Just like that screening, you can even see through your problem. But your problem is hiding an even bigger problem. You are not able to do it on your own. That’s, yep, that’s your real problem. It’s tough for a butterfly to admit that they need help. Your problem is not just a “screen”, but in realizing that you need help along the way.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

God will help you and wants to help you. Focus on God’s will, not on the screen. He’ll free you time and time again if that’s what you need. God will wrap His loving hands gently around you. How? There are so many ways God works in our lives. It may be from a song you are hearing. A sunset, a scripture, an interaction with another person. Or maybe a story about a butterfly.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher 601-832-8567

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I Almost Died!

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!

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Staying Hungry

This wild hawk has developed a trusting relationship with me. This bond we have together is because of one thing…… she’s hungry. She has learned that I will feed her, and feed her well!!

These hawks that are used in falconry are true athletes. It’s amazing watching them as they fly. Why doesn’t she just fly away when we are out hunting? That’s the whole point, she can if she wants. She has free will. But she knows that I have food. She knows me well enough now to realize it’s a good thing to hang around this guy. If we don’t jump a squirrel for her to chase and catch, then there’s always the drumstick or piece of meat held in my hand. Here’s how this works.

You come over to my house. I say to you, ” If you will run to my mailbox (several hundred yards), I will give you a good ole hamburger and fries.” But you’ve just eaten and maybe you’re a little bit lazy and full. Since you are NOT HUNGRY, you are not gonna do it. That’s fine, no problem. We will just wait till tomorrow. Now, you ARE HUNGRY! I say “If you will run to my mailbox, I will give you a steak and bake potato.” Bam!! You’ve gone!! And I keep my word every time. You now have a nourishing good meal. ENJOY!

That’s how I train my hawks. I don’t starve them, that would be bad. These flying athletes have to be in top shape to do and BE what they are. A weak starving hawk would not survive very long it’s sad to say.

But a strong hungry hawk,…….. now that’s a sight to behold. The passion these birds exhibit. The skills they possess. It’s so hard to describe once you’ve seen them up close…… and held them in your hand.

How do I know when they are hungry? I weigh them. Yep, it’s how falconers have done it for centuries. This red tail hawk with a wingspan of four feet weighs between two and three pounds! Remember, they are designed for flight. Their bones are hollow, their feathers light. Most people guess “Dakota” weighs 8 to 10 pounds just by looking at her. She looks that big, but her actual weight is two pounds and five ounces. Her targeted flying weight is two pounds and four ounces.

What do I mean her flying weight? It’s what she weighs when she is the most focused on ME. I weigh her every time I fly her. I’ve learned that if she is heavier than 2lb 4 oz, she acts lazy. She won’t fly to my glove as quickly. Actually she tends to just want to sit in a tree on a perch and look around. She may even have thoughts of flying away. In a day or two when she gets hungry again, she might entertain the idea of coming back to me. But that’s time we’ve lost that we could have been together.

If she weighs less than 2lb 4 oz, she acts tired and lethargic. The day I trapped her from the wild she weighed UNDER two pounds. She was on the verge of starving. (Remember, she had the injured talon.) I had to feed her quite a bit to get her energy level up and have her in a healthy condition.

But,…… when her weight is exactly 2 lb 4 oz ….. it’s almost magical. It’s when she comes alive. She is focused on me. She’s focused on my glove and food. She’s focused on my every move. Most importantly, she wants to be with me as we travel seeking game and opportunities to fly.

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

For this year’s resolution, I’ve asked God to keep me hungry in my relationship with Him. The world thinks I’m missing out,….. that I’m starving. Nope, Nada, far from it. I’m hungry for a Word from God. A strong Christian ……….now that’s a sight to behold. A strong Christian is what I want to be.

“Hearing” a word from God can be received in many ways. A song, a coincidence, through a conversation with another person, everyday life, all are ways that God speaks to us. But careful,……how do I know My Lord and Saviour is speaking to me in a small coincidence? Here’s how.

By staying focused on God. That small “coincidence” must be backed up and confirmed with scripture. A word from God must always line up with the Word of God (The Bible).

Maybe look at it like this. I communicate with “Dak” while we are out flying. How? By voice commands and whistles. But I also communicate (talk) to her by my body language, how I’m moving/walking,…… where my glove is,… even little things like what my fingers are doing. (reaching for a piece of meat). When “Dak” is hungry, she sees each and every little move I make. She is focused. She knows my will and what I’m wanting from her. She goes where I go.

Everything I do and say while out hunting with this hawk is done to keep this trusting relationship strong between us. (That’s the falconry Bible).

So if you are sensing a Word from God in your own life, I am so happy and proud for you. But when you are focused on Christ, it won’t be just one Word. It will combine with the Holy Spirit’s moving in your life. It will combine with the Bible, your everyday activities, your thoughts and prayers,……. your life itself. And you will be “going” where God is going.

Stay hungry my friends!

Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, falconer, seeking a word from my Heavenly Father