I had the opportunity to get away this past weekend to a 6,000 acre ranch. The plan was to hunt, relax, eat some food and hunt some more.  I am not an expert level hunter. In fact, I just learned how to look through the scope of a gun just a little over a year ago. Here’s the funny thing, no one on this trip would have guessed this to be true. I talk a pretty big game. I like to give the impression that I know what I am doing even when I don’t. The thing about deer camp is you can’t mask this for very long. They will figure you out quick…especially when you aim and miss.

I had a lot of time to think about things while sitting still in a deer stand. I was surrounded by nature. I had “missed the mark” when I missed a boar that had come out from the woods. He got away. I was disappointed and wished that I had the chance to shoot again. It made me start to question myself. What else have I missed the mark on?

It doesn’t take long, when you allow yourself to be reflective, to open your eyes and see a clearer picture of the person you see staring back at yourself. I miss the mark on so many things. I miss the mark on being the wife, the mother, daughter, sister and friend I need to be. I’m not perfect, so why try to give the impression that I am?

We made it back in time to go to church yesterday. The title of our sermon was, “Esse Quam Videri.” This means “To BE rather than to appear.” It seems The Lord was not finished allowing me my reflective thinking. The words that were spoken were speaking straight to my broken heart. We were in the book of Acts when Peter was speaking to the crowd after they had witnessed Peter heal a beggar.  They were astonished by him and he quickly confronted their sin and made much of Jesus Christ.

“Men of Isreal, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. YOU handed him over to be killed, and YOU disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. YOU disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murder be released to you. YOU killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.” Acts 3:12-15

Every time there is a YOU, you and I can place our name. We are sinners that fall short of the glory of God. We miss the mark! There is a remedy to our sin. Peter goes on to share it with the crowd. This is for us too. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be WIPED out, that times of REFRESHING may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you.” Acts 3:19-20

Sweet friends, if we are really His disciples, we must BE rather than appear. We must see the need for our own repentance. When we spend time with Him, he will allow us to see things the way they really are. I spent a good amount of time with Him yesterday, and tears flowed. I’m laying it down at His feet. We live in a world that only can condemn, but we have a Savior that WIPES away our sin. It’s gone! Done! Finished! Times of refreshment IS COMING when we lay it down! I will ARISE and GO! Won’t you join me?

A big THANK YOU to our sweet friends, The Chappell’s. We enjoyed our time with you and meeting your sweet friends. Thank you for putting up with my big talk self and loving me despite of it all. I’m such a work in progress, but thank God, He’s not finished with me yet.