Do What I Do

I believe there comes a point for us all where the need for reflection becomes elevated to the point of necessity. An intentional pause to evaluate the intentions of the heart, its desires, and its aspirations. Looking back can be a great exercise, though it ought not to be our permanent disposition. It’s difficult to grow while constantly reminiscing or maybe even cringing at where you just came from. I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect, pause, and evaluate.

To start, it seems best to remind myself of the reasons behind all that I do and more importantly who I am. I am a Christian, a husband, an outdoorsman, and a writer (to some small extent). Each of these brings implications for how one might expect me to walk, talk, and live my days. Right now though, I would rather not analyze the actions, instead I think I will dwell on the reasons each of these is true. Perhaps by taking this approach I will find clarity for my actions and learn, to a greater extent, why I do what I do.

I am a Christian

Am I a Christian as a result of my own doing? Do I believe as a result of my own logical thinking or ability to reason? No, I am a Christian because I am called. I believe because God awakened me to believe through the power of the gospel. And what is the gospel aside from Christ and him crucified? Crucified for me, to do what I could not do. Namely, make me alive and right before God. Furthermore, I have been gifted the Holy Spirit and been adopted into the family of God. This gift can never be stripped from me. I can not lose it, because I could not earn it. Freely given, abundant, and secure is my life in Christ. Glory be to him forever.

I am a Husband

I have always desired to be a husband and one day a father. The mystery of marriage and its mirroring of Christ and the church is one that I am still learning and still living. Such a wonderful and sweet gift my dear wife is to me. So much could be said of her wisdom, her beauty, or her strength, but I am most grateful for her presence. She has been a partner in the ministry work of everyday life, a bold and powerful influence in my walk with Christ, and an encouraging voice in dark times. I am her husband, so I must be the same for her. I must lead her to Christ and love her like Christ loves the church. I am her husband so I must be gentle and steady. I must listen and lead both vocally and in the ways that I walk. I am her husband, so I must keep our covenant and honor it always.

I am an Outdoorsman

Hunting has always been a major aspect of my identity. It is not the deciding factor or main ingredient of who I am, but it is a unique piece of my personal puzzle. I am an outdoorsman for many reasons. I was born into it, I find joy in it, and I have been fortunate to build a career in the outdoors. However, there is a deeper reason to why I hunt and it can be challenging to define. Straining your eyes to see a turkey through dense brush might be easier than explaining the inner workings of my hunger for the outdoors. I hunt because I find my peace and solitude among the oaks and cedars. I hunt to provide, to give life. I hunt because I believe it honors Christ in the correct posture of heart. I hunt to teach. I hunt to praise, to declare the freedom I have in Jesus. I hunt because if I don’t my mind might atrophy and wither to a state of waywardness and confusion. I wake up early, drive hours on end, and invest more with time than Wall Street has dollars all to glorify my God and show him as beautiful. I recognize that this doesn’t make much sense to someone of indoor tendencies, but it doesn’t negate the truth. I hunt to make much of Christ.

I am a Writer

I still feel weird referring to myself as a writer. It doesn’t seem like a title I have fully earned yet, but how else would you describe someone who writes things like this? So for now, despite zero publications and a minimal audience, I will call myself a writer. I have always been drawn towards the page. Words have power and that power is expressed through intentional construction of sentences. I don’t write to be published. I don’t write to build an audience. I do all this because I have seen the impacts that words can have on a soul. It is no small thing that Christ was referred to as the Word that was at the beginning. Scripture tells us that the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). Christ is the Word and his words spoke life into those who would believe. They move within and cut through you deeply. Many have written books, articles, and even social media posts that have stirred my heart to love Christ more. If I write it is because I want to write something that stirs within people as well. I hope my words can serve as a vessel to God awakening more from death to life.

I might never write books, but I want to write powerful sentences. I want to write in order that others may know Christ and that I may know him more as well. Just as with hunting and my struggle to define my love for it, comes a similar battle to understand my need to write. Think of dropping your keys down a storm drain and stretching as far as you can to reach them. Your fingertips touch the cold metal of each key, but you can’t quite grasp them. You know they are there even though you can’t see them. You can feel it, but you can’t make perfect sense of the situation. That is what it is like with me and writing. There is something deep within me that I am trying to draw out and I stretch to grasp it. I write to pray. I write to work through my faith with fear and trembling. I write to process. I write to think. I write because if I didn’t it seems I might explode from within. I pray that what I write be of Christ and for Christ.

Do What I Do

Folks know what I do. They can see it and sometimes make sense of it. I wrote this to describe the driving forces behind why I do what I do. I hope you see that it all points to Christ. He is the reason I do what I do. He gives me life, he gives me everything I need for growth in godliness. He makes me right with the Father. It’s all about what he has done. All the other aspects of my life flow from that. He is digging a well within me that streams of living water will rush from. Marriage, hunting, and writing are all simple shovels used to dig it.

Jesus, you are the reason that I do what I do. I pray it pleases you. Holy is your name. All glory be to you in my marriage, my hunting, and my writing.

Amen.