Struggling to pray together, Air Soft battles

Sometimes it is difficult to see progress in our lives. Goals and the milestones attached to them help identify forward or backward movement, but it seems I am most overwhelmed by those area where I have no clear directives, no clear goals. Usually those areas where I struggle the most are money related; areas where I have a fixed income and a very volatile outflow.


Maybe it’s because I do not recognize the “needs” around me the way others who help me spend money see them. I know it is selfish on my part but I am starting to resent money being spent on eating out. It, to me, seems a particularly peculiar waste; money spent on buying prepared food at twice to ten times the money required to buy groceries which rather than feeding on person one meal could feed three persons several meals. The quality would definitely differ but the end product is unvaried. It all ends up in the toilet anyway.

Things just seem a little off track to me. Maybe it is a reflection on the current state of affairs in the world today. Maybe the stress of my job, but there are relatively few things I can alter about either of those circumstances. As for my household, I am responsible. It is up to me to identify the problem, in both action and attitude, find a solution and apply the solution to the problem. All this has to be done without assigning any individual blame. It has to be done by getting individual participation in the problem; a recognition of each persons responsibility to apply the solution to the problem.

I have come to the conclusion that we are not praying together enough. That is an easy idea to offer. It has proved a very difficult practice to implement. I have not been diligent about a family Bible study time or a family prayer time. It is awkward to get going again. Not difficult, just awkward. But it must be done if there is to be any real leadership offered or any unity experienced. It begins with me.

Chase is spending the night tonight with friends who are going to have an all night Air Soft battle. I understand the Air part of the weaponry. There is nothing soft about it. They often draw blood. Unlike paint ball battles, these battles can rage on for hours because the evidence of a “kill” is less obvious.

There is very little difference in the price of the rifles used in the activities but I am told that the $300 rifles really are mechanically superior to the $125 rifles and infinitely more reliable. Anyone should know that reliability is crucial for battle. I remain an unconvinced non-participant.

I asked, “Why would I want to run around the woods, risking a heart attack or stroke, while trying to avoid the pain in getting peppered with painful plastic pellets?” All in the name of fun. It was then that the heart of the “sport” was explained to me. It is not the pain inflicted on me that is fun. That is merely a requisite of participation. It is the pain I would get to inflict on others that is fun.

I still remain an unconvinced non-participant.