Back Where It All Started..

It’s been almost 2 years since I started writing this blog.  Sitting in the deer stand with my bow for the first time of the year.  When I wrote that post, I had no idea I would turn it into a weekly blog that quite a few people would read every week, and believe it or not, some even look forward to it.   I had no intention of starting anything.  I am not a social media person, still not.   I typically stayed to myself.  I didn’t talk to a bunch of people.  I was also in a really hard place, five months out from losing my son.

I look back at the last two years, and I can see how far I have come.   I see the areas I have grown in.  I have reaped some rewards from sowing good seeds.  I have allowed myself to open up to other people and it given me a group of men I can talk to, real friends that I haven’t had in a really long time. 

I was reading in 2 Thessalonians this morning as part of my daily reading for my fight club challenge at our church. 

“For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.””

2 Thessalonians 3:7-8, 10 NLT

This passage talks about physical working, but it hit me harder to think about putting in the work spiritually.  I know I have not put as much work into the spiritual side as I have at my job.  There are a lot of days, I don’t open my Bible.  There are days when I don’t pray at all.  I still go to work everyday though.

 It seems as though my priorities are misaligned with what is truly important.  I tend to stay busy, and the I have the excuse ready for when I don’t take the time to study my Bible daily.  I get off track extremely easily and quit doing the things that are good for me.  Waking up early and exercising, doing my reading, all before I go to work.  That is how I had the best days.  Not putting everything else first.

Looking back over the past two years, I have come a long way, but I know I have a lot farther to go.  I encourage all of you to look back at the past few years.   Are you growing or are you staying in the same place?