| November 15, 2024 “Always Ready" Judging by the cars at church, it is hunting season. I think that you can hunt deer with a bow right now. Nearly every morning and evening, there is at least one car parked in the corner of the lot, meaning that someone has hiked into the woods down below the church in hopes of filling a tag. No doubt, after Thanksgiving, there will be even more cars when rifle season starts. I’ve never been a hunter, but I can respect the dedication that many of these people have. Many of them will spend time in the off season, scouting for the best places to hunt. Of course there is preparation for hunting season. You need to make sure that your gear is in order. Some practice with your bow or rifle is wise. There are licenses that need to be procured, etc. But where the rubber really meets the road is when the season starts, you need to go and hunt. Again, I am no hunter, but I believe that conventional wisdom is that deer are most active relatively early and late in the day. Hence the cars in the church parking lot early morning, and again in the evening. The other day, I was taking the dogs out for a spin about 2 PM. I looked up and there, trotting across the field was a decent sized deer, sporting some head gear. I was a little too far away to be sure, was he a spike, or were there four points. I smiled to see him trotting first up the slope, then, deciding better of it, turning around and heading down into the woods. I would guess that he would make some hunters smile even bigger. Yesterday morning, maybe about 8:30 AM, I saw him again. At least I think it was the same deer. This time, he was even closer, and it was pretty clear there were four points. For all the time that there has been a hunter or two in the woods, this fella was eluding everyone. They weren’t ready, they weren’t there at the right time. For all their preparations, and I will say too, consistency, they still weren’t ready at the right time. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared (ready) to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.” What the writer here is referring to is our hope in Jesus Christ. We should always be ready to talk about our faith; always ready to share. There are many who are very serious about their faith, but in reality, it fits into particular times and places. They believe always; but they worship only on Sunday. And they are really only prepared to talk about it with certain people in certain circumstances. If the subject pops up unexpectedly, they just might miss the opportunity, because they aren’t ready for that time or setting. You cannot always predict when you might have an encounter that leads to a discussion of faith; that gives you the opportunity to share. Obviously, if you think that you have a high chance, prepare. But you ought to consider that there is always that possibility and have an ear and an eye open so you don’t miss what others might. After all, there is no reason for this; and you certainly cannot predict patterns. “Always be prepared …” (And keep in mind the end of the verse in 1 Peter 3:15.) “But do this with gentleness and respect.” By the way Tuesday, I saw ten turkeys strolling across the field about 2 PM. Nobody was looking for them. You never know what opportunities you might have if you keep your eyes open. Grace, Mercy, and Peace, Pastor Blaine |