December 27, 2021 – Click here to listen
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas; I know I sure did. Through a plethora of friends, I miraculously found four brand new 350 HP Mercury engines in Fort Myers to replace my old worn-out engines. I hauled my boat over there and had them installed and brought the boat back to the Keys all in just seven days. The average wait just to receive new engines is 63 weeks and getting someone to install them during Christmas week, well that is unheard of.
But the Lord came through with an awesome Christmas present and the boat is running like a scalded dog. I’m ready to go fishing with my boys and their families when they get here today. Aside from that I’ve enjoyed Christmas from a spiritual perspective as well. I’ve had good success having long talks with several of my friends about Christ over the holidays and I’m optimistic that several will commit to radically changing some things in their lives.
I used to start working on my goals for the New Year in November and would not have them complete and reduced to writing until January 15th. Then I would spend the rest of the year trying to accomplish them. I’ve overcome many obstacles and achieved quite a bit in life and second to Christ giving me opportunities and walking with me every step of the way, I credit goal setting as one important factor that contributed heavily to those successes. Of course, all the opportunities and goals in the world, no matter how significant, are of zero value unless we are committed to achieving them and willing to work hard and persevere until we enter the winner’s circle.
Since retirement, goal setting is not quite the formidable task that it once was. Instead of setting long-term and even mid-term goals, I focus more on short-term. I have no need for career goals anymore and focus on spiritual and personal goals. My foremost goal in life is to honor God and His word. I feel I am best suited to lead others to Christ and influence them to life with Christ being number one in life. I am convinced in fact, that it is my purpose as ordained by God and I take it seriously.
I have come to believe it is the little things that count even more than having a powerful testimony in influencing others for Christ. For example, my friends have learned to expect me to say the blessing prior to eating, whether in a restaurant or enjoying a home-cooked meal at home and rarely dig in without waiting for it. They know I don’t do this for show, rather because I desire to honor God and want to thank Him for yet another meal. I don’t care what anyone else thinks about my love for Christ and anyone who knows me is well aware of it. If I’m led by the Lord I’ll talk to complete strangers about Christ and invite them to church or pray with them. I also try to tamp down the vocabulary of those salty fisherman that I hang out with and admonish them to stop with the foul language. And when I miss a fish or drop something on my toe and slip up with profanity myself, I apologize to them more often than not and always ask God to forgive me. Again, I don’t do this for show but because I truly hate to disappoint God.
I pray daily that when God finally calls me home that He will tell me I’ve done a good job with life in spite of the many setbacks and self-inflicted wounds that I’ve brought upon myself through sin. A goal of doing the right thing as Jack – Murf the Surf – Murphy would say should be the goal of all of us. I have zero doubt that God welcomed him with a smile as Murf stood there with tears of joy streaming down his face. I want some of what Mr. do the right thing Murphy has right now when it is my time.
Do what is right, not what is easy. Achieve that goal and you will have done something my friends.
James 1:22
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.