Lines in the Grass

Lines in the Grass

“And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.” Judges 6:38-40(ESV)

“Number seven…number seven.” yep that’s me. I had number seven at the Christmas party. I walk up to a full table of presents and try to proclaim the aforementioned verse. “What did he say?” “He’s trying to quote from the story of Gideon.” Well, I grab a box and unwrap it. It’s a game called “Armchair Quarterback” and for those of you who read Freedom Fighters, this is the gift that Pastor Dave Rittinger swaps with me. I got the watch and we were both very happy. However little did I know that when it was all done and over with this verse was going to repeat itself the next morning.

I heard a brother give testimony on cutting grass during his time at the Colony of Mercy. One a grad just happen to walk by this brother and jokingly stated that his lines in the cut grass were straighter during his time. This joke had got this brother to thinking. “I do need to make my lines better.” He asked someone how cornfields get straight lines and the answer was to focus on one point and walk towards that point. This brother tries this and it works.

But after a while he notices that he cannot keep his focus just on this one point so he looks down to follow his lines in the grass. Then he noticed his lines were going crooked again. All ready being full of conflict within himself along with the everyday frustrations of being at the Colony this brother wonders why. And then he looked up, there was the Cross that is already on the grounds behind the Raw’s Memorial Lodge.

Now I am not giving you the whole testimony but within it I was reminded at times of Gideon. This brother wants to save his marriage and he needed assurance from God that He was even there. That He was even listening. This brother understands that God puts guys like us in the Colony but it’s finding out why that drives Colony men to our knees. I have asked for a sign even after the sign earlier in my walk. Now I can just envision the Savior looking down and saying, “C’mon now, don’t make me get the heavy stuff out.”

Gideon asked God for a sign and he received a wet fleece, this brother asked for straighter lines in his grass cutting and was given a focal point. In Gideon’s moment of doubt he asked for another sign and he found wet ground, in this brother’s moment of doubt he was given this Proverb “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you, ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left, remove your foot from evil.”Then he looked and saw the Cross. -- Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent Freedom Fighter contributor

God's WORD for US: Proverbs 21; Micah 4-5; Revelation 12

Great Quote: “The main problem with this definition of love is that when you try to apply it to God’s love for us, it distorts reality. God’s love for us is not mainly His making much of us, but His giving us the ability to enjoy making much of Him forever. In other words, God’s love for us keeps God at the center. God’s love for us exalts His value and our satisfaction in it. If God’s love made us central and focused on our value, it would distract us from what is most precious; namely Himself.” “Pierced by the Word” John Piper

Watch for information about our special DIGGING DEEPER theme for 2010.