Solitude

This weekend I went down to my home town to see some family and to take my wife to the annual Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair. I wasn’t planning on going down, but some last minute plans got changed and I went. My idea of fun isn’t really walking around and looking at crafts with another 60,000 people. I happen to like Hillsboro when the normal 2500 residents are the only ones there. So I decided to capitalize on an opportunity I had. I went out with somebody to shoot a little bit. I needed to fire some rounds through my 500 Smith and Wesson to make sure everything was working properly. I was also given a chance to fire 14 rounds through a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber semi-automatic rifle. So I decided to decline the offer. Just kidding, do you think I am that stupid? I accepted the offer and shot the 14 rounds through and was fairly impressed with my 4” group of 8 shots at 100 yards. Another fun thing to do with that gun is to shoot two rounds as fast as you can, that gets the adrenaline going as the shock wave comes back and blows through your nostrils and almost blows your ear plugs out. I must admit that I enjoyed spending time away from the crowds and being outside and enjoying nature, shooting the Barrett, and blowing up mud clods with my 500.

In the Bible, one thing we see over and over is Jesus getting up early in the morning to get away from the crowds and spending time in prayer. If Jesus, being God, needed to spend time with God, then we know that we should strive to do the same. You and I need to make it a habit to get away from the “crowds” and spend time with the Lord in prayer and reading His Word. Now getting away from the crowds may mean closing the door to your office or going down the street to get a coffee. It doesn’t matter what method you use, the important part is that you are spending time with God. I try to spend a 15-30 minute window each morning in my office reading my Bible and praying. It doesn’t always happen due to certain things going on. But I try to make that my morning routine, and if I can’t, I will try it some other time in the day. Hunting season is coming up, so I can spend my early mornings out in the field with my Bible on my phone and read as I listen for the turkey clucks.

If you are ever faced with a tough decision as I was this weekend, either to walk and look at crafts or shoot a Barrett, I hope that you make the right decision.