Texas Baptists Committed - A Rancher's Rumblings, February 26, 2007

The Mainstream Baptist Convocation in Irving was an excellent event, as it always is. I know that my opinion is biased, but the fact is that the absolutely best events that I attend each year—for a combination of inspiration and information—are TBC or MBN convocations. A lot of you go to Pastor’s conferences and such, and that is fine, but, in all honesty, they don’t compare to these convocations. I’m just being bluntly honest, as you would expect of me.

My trip home was eventful. I’ve started flying usually when I go to Dallas, especially if I don’t have to rent a car, like this trip. Flying is cheaper than paying mileage.

I was scheduled to leave DFW on a 1:15 p.m. flight and land in San Angelo at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Reality turned out to be that I landed at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, just in time to make it to worship at my church. The winds were so strong Saturday that over 400 flights were canceled out of DFW.

I spent Saturday night at the Holiday Inn Select in Irving, along with a large number of travelers who told me that they had no hope of leaving DFW until at least Monday.

Around 10:00 p.m., I walked outside the motel for a minute and, to my surprise, saw a cottontail rabbit on the grass outside the motel. I asked him, “What are you doing here, bunny?” I looked around the motel—nothing but highways, convenience stores, and other motels for miles around. I thought, “Bunny, you should live out at my ranch.”

(continued)

I was thinking how much safer it would be in the country instead of in the city, but then I remembered that—at the ranch—the bunny would have to contend with bobcats, foxes, and snakes (he wouldn’t have to worry about hunters, because my Dad wouldn’t let me shoot cottontails, so I don’t let anyone, either).

But you know, I got to thinking about life in general, and decisions that people make in particular, and none of life is safe. Every time we get in a car, it is dangerous. Every plane flight can crash. We can choke on our food. Life is dangerous. I honestly have no idea how I lived to adulthood without a child seat in the car or even a seatbelt. I never wore a helmet when I rode my bicycle.

Finally, I got to thinking about the decisions that preachers make to play it safe. Many have not wanted to identify with TBC or CBF, because they were afraid that it would cost them a call to a “good” church. Well, I know for a fact that a lot of churches have decided not to call a particular pastor because that pastor refused to show leadership by standing up to fundamentalism and also refused to be a part of TBC.

So I guess that the bottom line is that there is no way to play it safe in life. It is usually just best to do what you know is right and let the chips fall where they will. I hope the bunny has a long life.