Ever try driving forward by only looking in the rear view mirror?  Ever try living your life by only looking back at what’s already happened?

Driving across country early, early one morning, I saw a most beautiful site in my rear view mirror.  It was the sunrise.  A most glorious and bright sunrise.  It’s always cool to me to see the sun burst over the horizon.  Getting to see those first few rays followed quickly by a full sun shining is something that never grows old to me.  In this particular instance, there was darkness, then a shade of pink.  A beautiful dance followed with the clouds swirling by sharing their purples and reds.  Anticipating that first bright ray of sunshine, I drove the next couple of miles while basically looking only in my rear view mirror.

Then there it was.  A sunrise!  Good morning Lord!  I’ve been driving a few hours in the dark, kinda getting sleepy.  The light wakes me up and gets me in the mood to drive for several more hours.  But I won’t be looking in the rear view mirror anymore.  I’m looking ahead.  Looking ahead so I won’t hit anything for sure, but looking ahead so that I won’t miss anything either.  That light that’s behind me (and got my back) is shining the way forward for me now.

Philippians 3:14  GWT  I run (press on) toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.

I want more out of this life.  More out of my work, my play, my marriage, my family, ….more out of  myself.  Not a greedy kind of more.  But I want more of what God has promised.  He promised abundant life.  That doesn’t mean a fancy car and lots of money.  Doesn’t necessarily mean a life free of hard times and no painful experiences.  No, God’s heavenly call means believing in Jesus.  Believing in a God who is behind you (and has got your back).  This belief and way of life gives us a true way to PRESS ON and continue our spiritual journeys.

There are many times that you and I want to look back in time and basically live in the past.  Times spent with friends and family members, times to be cherished, good times in the past.  Yep, even the “good ole days” all seem so much “gooder”, and “better” than what we are living in and with now.

But there is that promise from God that drives me forward.  His light shines the way for me.  I know lots of time in religious talk it’s said to “keep your eyes on God”.  “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”.  I get that. Stay focused on Him.  Don’t we tend to try to stay focused on Him by “looking in the rear view mirror”?  We start thinking, “God, why can’t it be like it was or used to be?”

Nope, let’s press on.  Continue on your journey my friends.  Know this.  Even in the darkest of nights, that sun is about to rise over the horizon.  Sure, it is a glorious site to see the sunrise in your rear view.  But even more is to be seen by looking ahead and seeing what this light is showing you as you go forward.  Knowing that God’s Son is behind me (and got my back) is a belief that inspires me to press on.  It’s a heavenly calling that you and I can receive even while still in this earthly human body.  A relationship between little ole you and a Most Awesome God……….and you thought a sunrise was a thing of beauty.  Who’s got your back???

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher and driving to the song “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty

We are in a WAR! A spiritual war……. and it includes you too. We are in a battle against hopelessness, fear, hurt, loneliness, and downright negativity in any and every walk of life. We have to stand up and fight this battle………. And yet, here we Christians are,…….. fighting each other. Fighting to show each other who’s right, who’s wrong, and who’s better…………. shame, shame. Enough is enough!

Look, if we are in a spiritual war, that means we are fighting IN God’s army right? That means that we all have a position to guard and protect. So here’s the deal. God has created everyone of us to be His Children and His soldiers. Dan messes up a lot BEING Dan, but nobody can be better at being Dan than me. The same with you being you. We are spending too much time criticizing each other and losing focus on JESUS! The focus of His love for others, His saving grace for others, His wanting to give EVERYONE abundant life! He is so amazing!

Yet, we are too busy criticizing each other over whether you wear a mask. Criticism concerning if you go to the store instead of staying hunkered down. Downright anger that I don’t think like You do about …….fill in the blank……whatever. But remember, we are all different. Oh Yea, remember, the Devil cannot destroy us. I’ve read the whole Book,…… He can’t. But, sad to say, we seem to be doing a pretty good job of destroying each other on our own.

If we are God’s army, AND WE ARE, then that means that we all have different “positions” to take in this battle……… So here’s what I want to say to the Christian Army………….

That person that throws “hand grenades” on facebook. You know what I mean. You put controversial posts up, you share an opinion that causes confrontation. You “get in the face” of people. If that’s who God has created you to be, then carry on! I get it,……. you are on the front lines in the thick of battle against evil so “hand grenades” must be used. Just be careful out there OK? There is some “friendly fire” that is causing harm to others.

That person in the very back who’s quiet and withdrawn. You know who you are. You don’t like confrontation. Even so, you are busy “nursing the wounded”. People who are being hurt and fearful come to you. Continue to give freely of yourself. If that’s who God has created you to be, then carry on! Give till it hurts. Give what Jesus has given you. What’s that? Peace,…… peace that passes all understanding.

That pastor who has to make a stand concerning his (and God’s) flock. Your decisions are tough right now in this battle. But God has created you to be exactly where you are so carry on! We church members have your back. Pastor, you just focus on God and feed us His word. WE ARE HUNGRY!!

The other pastors and preachers who are making a stand by staying on their knees! Carry on!!!! Boo Yaa!

Me? What’s my position in God’s Army? Your little ole wilderness preacher is a sniper. Picture this. You are being held captive right now. I’ve got a bead on your who/what’s holding you down. God gives me ammunition (words), I right them down in this blog, it’s bathed in prayer, and I pull the trigger. One at a time. Who is the one? That would be you my friend! I pull the trigger, but God does the aiming. He constantly aims for the heart,….. your heart.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

So, carry on my Christian brothers and sisters. The world is caught up in a continuous non stop circle of hopelessness, of untruths, of negatives and more negatives. This virus is gonna kill us all,…. The hospitals can’t handle this,….. the world will never recover,……. it’s gonna take years to get back to normal, …… the MURDER HORNET is here,…….. biscuits are exploding and causing trauma,…… climate change,…….what’s next killer koala bears,…. clorox causing cancer????

And yet, we Christians are getting caught up in this non stop circle of being let down, being told there is no hope, being told how to think, being……. being everything EXCEPT what God has created us to be. See how the enemy/ the Devil/ evil/ anything but God tears us down……… it comes from within. Enough is Enough! Battle stations.

Be who God created you to be! If our focus is on God’s Will, God’s Love, God’s Way of Life, then God’s Army will work together in one accord. That means this………. Even though we are different and in different positions in our Christian walk, we truly are in this together. The world/media/advertising is using the phrase “we are in this together” constantly. Thing about this is……… we Christians LIVE THIS WAY!

“Hand grenade” lady……. I got your back, hopefully you’ve got mine. The quiet nurse in the back…….. you can count on me, and I’m counting on you. Preacher, I’m with ya on this Christian battle. We are counting on you to hear the voice of God. That other preacher who is on his knees, know that my arm is around you right now.

It’s a crazy world right now. Let me share something personal with you. You know why I wear a mask? 2 reasons. My sister-in-law is in the medical field. She pleaded with me to wear it. So I do. The other reason,……. the 70 year old lady that’s not in the best of health at the grocery checkout. She thanks me for wearing a mask every time I come in. See, she has to work to pay her bills. She doesn’t rely on Gov’t!! Out of respect to these two I wear the mask.

I’ve also given respect to the health organizations and my United States Government. Despite all the politics and power plays, I want to be a good citizen. The virus has changed this world. My prayer all along has been and will continue to be that this pulls people closer to Jesus and the Christian walk.

Sunday, I will be inside the church building for the first time in weeks. I hope you can be too. (If you are coming as a way to “flip off” the healthcare/ government,……. please,….. don’t come) But if you are coming to truly worship with a bunch of sinners saved by grace, THEN CARRY ON!

You will be singing and worshiping with a bunch of social distanced, hand washed, clorox cleaned, sanitized, deodorized, wiped down, disinfected, temperature checked, health monitored Children of God… whew…….. and don’t want to forget… cleansed from within by our Lord and Saviour!

(singing) My heart has no desire to stay, where doubts arise and fears dismay. Tho some may dwell where these abound, my prayer my aim is higher ground.

See Ya Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher (and freshly washed hands 😉 )