The first time I saw Honey Lake Plantation I marveled at its beauty and peaceful setting and I thought surely God spent extra time in creating it. I imagine Jesus to be a fine artist whose delight is creating stunning living masterpieces that enchant the soul and stir the innermost emotion of anyone who sees them come to life. I’ve seen His artwork all over the world including the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii, stunning Big Sur on California’s coastline, the majestic mountains of Alaska and Canada, the Redwood forest, the vast fields of the Midwest, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
No offense to those masterpieces, but for me, Honey Lake is one of God’s finest renderings.
The black velvet nights here are strewn with billions of stars that sparkle like diamonds and a big ol’ moon that glows silver to red. Nights are accented with the eerie hoots of owls and haunting whippoorwills that celebrate God’s presence and stir the soul for hours on end.
Pristine Honey Lake itself begins most days shrouded in mist until the morning sunrise bursts forth its glorious warmth and golden radiance resulting in an explosion of color that quickly spreads across the lake and throughout the adjacent fields and forest like a rapidly moving fire of color.
Words cannot accurately depict the grandeur and glory of it all and of course God was not remiss in providing a liberal sprinkling of scampering squirrels, graceful deer, honking blue herons, striking white Ibis, magnificent eagles, and other creatures to capture our imaginations.
I have no doubt whatsoever that God enjoys this sanctuary as much, or more so, than I do. One can feel His holy presence all over this place, and I don’t mean exclusively in the church, (though just going inside that magnificent structure will often bring you to tears).
I feel it when I go for a hike, sit on my deer stand, canter my horse, ride around in my pickup truck, or sit up on a hillside or edge of a pond or swamp and just stare.
It’s interesting to me that I’m not the only one that digs this scene. Every creature that I observe seems to immensely enjoy it too. My little mutt Coopie likes to sit outside with me for long periods of time with just the two of us sitting next to each other staring out into space and thinking. His little nose is just a twitching as he soaks it all in and I’m envious that those enticing aromas are hidden from me and enjoyed solely by him. It seems that every animal I observe in the mornings will at some point stop its important work of foraging for breakfast long enough to just stand, and/or sit and stare at the magnificence around them.
I’ve had numerous pastors, and great Christian friends tell me that Honey Lake would be an ideal place for spiritual people to relax, meditate, and sharpen their swords. Many have put intense pressure on me to develop it into something similar to an entity developed by Billy Graham, (the “Cove”), that caters exclusively to those who seek spiritual enlightenment. In essence they want me to dedicate Honey Lake 100% to providing a spiritual haven for individuals and groups and eliminate altogether any secular activity on this gorgeous property.
Hmmm…It’s very tempting to do just that. We just had a super nice group of women here for a spiritual retreat and they were a fantastic group. They treated the property with the utmost respect and were about as easy to get along with as any bunch of people that we’ve ever encountered. It was a joy to have them as guests.
An Assembly of God group came on site right afterwards and the experience with them was similar. On the last day of their event the Executive Director sought me out and literally raved about what a good time they’d had while here. He told me that they were scheduled to conduct their last meeting in the Red Hills Ballroom, but he knew we had another group coming in immediately after their last session and he decided to move it to the church in order to give our staff more time to clean the ballroom and get it setup for the next group. Then he told me he’d asked everyone in their group to go ahead and check out early in order to allow the housekeeping staff additional time to flip the rooms and get them cleaned prior to our new guest’s arrival.
WOW! I of course told him that he didn’t have to do that, but he just smiled and told me that he wanted to. I was floored by his gracious considerate attitude. He then told me with a smile as big as Texas that they’d be back soon.
Contrast that with a secular group that we had in here a few months back that were entirely disrespectful of the property. They spilled wine on the carpet, treated our staff like they were sub-humans, threw trash on the floors, beer cans in the driveway, and cups on the lawns. While one of our employees was trying to sweep up the trash in front of the meeting center, one of them insolently flipped a cigarette at him. (He should be glad that I wasn’t there for that little display of disrespect.)
One couple had so much to drink that night that they trashed the room and puked all over their bed. The stench was so bad that we had to throw out the linens and take the room out of service while it aired out.
Lately we’ve conducted several secular events. Many of the participants have sought me out and I’ve given my testimony to them. Last night was no exception. Without going into detail I can tell you that having secular guests on this property and exposing them to God’s message of love and hope IS making a difference.
The reason I have steadfastly refused to make Honey Lake a Christian-only place is just that. Secular people need to see God’s light in this dark world. Honey Lake is the perfect place to make it happen.
We had one young man who got drunk and was pulling down his pants and “mooning” everyone who drove by. I have since counseled that young man who is in rehab now and can say with confidence that he is in a better place spiritually.
Reserving Honey Lake exclusively for Christians would make all of our lives here much easier and enjoyable, but it isn’t about easy. I think of Jesus hanging out with sinners, drunks, gluttons, tax collectors, and other despicable, “mean”, human beings. Though I’m sure He didn’t like the actions of some of the folks that He ministered to and would have perhaps preferred to hang out with some of His spiritual friends that loved Him and respected His commands, His message was needed elsewhere and He willingly took it there.
I try to take a page out of His book and emulate Him where I can. I don’t go into prisons because I want to risk my life talking to some sociopath with nothing to lose if he sticks a shiv in my throat because I want to tempt fate or enjoy it; I do it because I want to reach the lost for Christ. The same is true for putting up with the crap that lost people sometimes hurl our way here in this beautiful setting. I share the beauty and love of Honey Lake with them in an effort to provide a shining light in the darkness of their foolish walk.
Hopefully it will make a difference to some and they will turn from their unhappy miserable existence and receive that aura of love that can only come from knowing God. Then and only then will they see life and places like Honey Lake as God’s masterpieces. I hope they all find God’s peace, joy, and love. One thing sure, it resides here at Honey Lake and at least for now it is open to one and all.
Have a great weekend and go to church on Sunday!
Matthew 5:15
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.