Cold Chills

Eric is my friend. We’ve hunted together since about 2012, our sons are the same age and play the same sports, we both are outdoor nuts, and we both play guitar. It is the latter of that list of similarities that brings this particular occasion to light.

Back in November, while on a hunting trip to our lease in southern Missouri, we had the opportunity to lead the singing worship at a small local church, and afterwards, my best friend in the world, Brian Johnson, provided the preaching. On purpose now, I am going to take a little detour and then get back to the point of this writing. In the area we hunt, it almost seems like time has stood still for 50 years or so. You don’t just do your thing and go on about your business like you do in this society where personal interaction and genuine concern for others seems to be crumbling down like a house of cards. No – folks in that area still visit, hang out, and enjoy getting to know new folks. We, of course, are new folks to them, and that’s what brought about the opportunity for us to minister that morning in the little church on the hill. We met and became friends with a neighbor to our land owner who happened to be a leader of the little church. Doors opened.

One of the songs we sang that morning was the timeless old hymn titled, The Old Rugged Cross. We had fun in God’s house that morning. We worshiped. We learned. God was honored. Now – fast forward a few months, and I get a text message one Sunday from my buddy Eric. The text read, Thought about yall this morning. Snuck into church 5 minutes late. They were playing Old Rugged Cross. I immediately got the chills cause the last time I heard it was on the old hill top. Ah, yes…the old hill top. Fun times…

Things have changed in the short period of time since then. Our land owner, who had become so much more than that – he was a friend…a part of our families really…well, he has gone on to be with the Lord for eternity. His illness came suddenly, and he went down quickly. One trip in February to say hi, and then one in April to say bye, and that was it. I wonder, friends, what kinds of “old hill top” moments we have before us…Are we taking advantage of opportunities we have to influence others for the cause of Christ? Are we letting those nearest and dearest to us know how much they mean to us? Brother James tells us that …you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)

Rather than dealing with cold chills over things left undone, next time, allow the burning passion for serving God drive you to pounce on every opportunity to love, serve, encourage, visit, pray, cry, laugh, and whatever else others need. It may seem like an old rugged cross that is heavy to carry, but it very well could be the last chance you ever get to let THAT person know that they are loved dearly. So – whether here, there, or yonder, or even at the old church on the hill…I’ll see you in the great outdoors!