October 16 2017 – Click here to listen
I haven’t watched a single NFL game in a few weeks now. Not that long ago I counted the days for the season to begin, and once underway I was watching all day Sunday afternoon furiously switching from game to game watching the scores of teams that I loved and their rivals. I also stayed up Monday and Thursday nights to catch their games.
But after observing players disrespect our National Anthem, flag, country, and police I decided that I could find other things to do and I have. It is amazing to me how quickly I’ve lost interest in this game that I’ve loved for decades. I don’t miss it at all. I would have never believed that it was even possible for me to turn away from football.
This weekend I went down to the Florida Keys. I made the decision to get back in to deep sea fishing again where I can enjoy the peace of God far from football, Hollywood, politics, bitter media, haters, and all malcontents who seem to despise this great country. They give the impression that they dislike everything I consider good (especially Christians).
Ugh!
It was wonderful to get back out on the water and smell the sea and enjoy the gentle trade winds. The water was a gorgeous turquoise blue until it immediately changed to deep cobalt blue when we crossed the reef and headed offshore. Birds were swooping down on bait fish and I felt for a moment how I envision that God must have felt after He had created this earth and looked down on all that He had made and declared, “It is good.”
I felt like kneeling, not to protest, but to honor God and to thank Him for creating this beautiful blue marble and hanging it in space. To thank Him for giving me life and loving me and blessing me with a wonderful family. Also for saving me from myself as I fought Him and tried to run away.
Yes, the outdoors will do that to you. The air has begun to turn cooler in the mornings and soon hunting season will open. I look forward to it with great anticipation as well. Getting up before dark and making my way to my stand and then sitting and watching the glorious sun rise and seeing wildlife go about their morning ritual. Now that I have hearing aids, I can hear the raucous crows greeting the morning, and listen as squirrels protest anything that dares to get too close to their home.
Yep those kinds of protests don’t bother me.
I’m content in God’s great outdoors. He created it for our enjoyment and believe me I enjoy it. Too bad great advances in technology including computers and television distract us from the real beauty of this fabulous world. I hope some of you can tear yourself away from your devices next weekend and just go for a ride to the mountains, desert, ocean, river, or your local park.
Anyway, I would like to thank you Colin Kaepernick, thanks for getting me out of my rut. Thank you for wearing socks depicting police as pigs, and refusing to stand for the National Anthem of the country you hate and made you a multi-millionaire making $18 million dollars a year. Thanks for opening my eyes and getting me back to my God and His glory.
I’m back! And I owe most of it to you.
I have officially returned to God’s great outdoors. There is beauty all over this planet for those who look for it; I suggest that you immerse yourself in it like I intend to do. And when you get offshore, or far back in the forest, or sit on a park bench, take time to reflect on the majesty of our Creator and be thankful that He loved you so much as to allow you to live in this great country.
And for those of you who contemptuously snarl, it’s easy for someone with white privilege to say this, I remind you I was a homeless meth-addict alcoholic without family or friend when I discovered the Lord. My white privilege landed me the worst paying job among 400 employees and I worked 20-hour days to emerge from my pit. My privilege came from above; His name is Jesus. We all have the same privilege with Him. He loves everyone including those who despise His name and He has made a way to find peace, joy, and love. The rest is up to us . . . Turn to Him today . . .
Job 12:7
“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.”