Outdoor Truths

The end of February and the beginning of March is not normally a time outdoor activities come to mind. Deer hunters are gathering up the remains of the last season and the turkey season is still a few weeks away. So, what's a guy/gal to do? Well, for starters, the fishermen are loving every warm day. They know big bass are caught this time of year, and that it's also a great time to check the river for the walleye run while they're waiting on the best days for crappie. It's really a full season for fishing if one can line up the nicer days with the actual days one can fish. For a few more weeks we could have weekend temps from the teens to the sixties. There's no doubt, the lakes and rivers will be full of fishermen, on every sunny weekend. They may have to shake the ice from the eyes of their fishing rods, but they will be there meticulously waiting on that familiar tug. And the plan for those in the lakes will be to fish slow. The water is cold. The fish move a little slower. The bite might not be aggressive. It might be just recognizing a slight pull that becomes the difference in a solid hook set or never knowing you had one on. Slow fishing is how I learned to fish. In my younger days, I only knew plastic worm fishing and rarely used anything else. This time of year, the worm was replaced with a jig of some kind, but it's still presented slow... and patiently... and consistently. My mind goes to another, more important thing, that I think works best when it is presented slowly. That is the claims of the gospel of Jesus. In the past, not only was the presentation fast, but the bait was wrongheaded. The presentation was a well-worded prayer, and the bait was a ticket that kept one out of Hell. Not only did we fail to portray a real relationship with God, but we centered the reason for a relationship around the choice between Heaven or Hell. We simply scared people into an unhealthy relationship. And many left it for several different reasons. Our gospel was bad news. Jesus' gospel was good news. We presented the wrath of an angry God. Jesus presented the love of a heavenly Father. We demanded a decision. Jesus desired a disciple. We want three minutes with someone. Jesus wanted three years. We can't change our city with a house of worship on every corner. Jesus changed the world with twelve men. I've often said if I had to do it over, I would spend more time with less people. Because strong relationships are built slowly. It is the same with one's relationship to God. To know him is to love him. And knowing takes a slow, patient, and consistent presentation. If you would like to get weekly updates on Outdoor Truths events, sign up on my website. Outdoortruths.org. Also, I'd love to speak at your next wild game dinner or men's event.