Kendall the Fire

When I was a teenager, I think that I owned the title from Willie Nelson’s song, “my heroes have always been cowboys.” Besides liking the Dallas Cowboys football team, I worked on a cattle ranch. I loved riding horses and tried (not too successfully) to rope calves. But, that’s not really what this story is about. 

This story is really about my enjoyment of being with my dad. I’ve mentioned him before in this blog. He was a man who loved the outdoors… hunting, fishing, hiking and the like.  And, he also loved people–his work as a pastor was marked by his obvious compassion for others. 

When our family moved from Alaska to western Kansas, his enjoyment of hunting big game like moose, caribou, mountain goats and bear had to be exchanged for hunting smaller critters like coyotes, prairie dogs, jack rabbits–all of which we considered to be varmints… the bane of farmers. When my dad would grab a .22 rifle and head for the sand hills, I (dressed in my “cowboy” gear) would tag along. 

One day we were walking through a prairie-dog town, with holes every few feet rising from the ground like small volcanos. A rattlesnake that I had failed to observe–and that was too close for comfort–began his irritating buzzing, a warning that he was coiled and ready to strike. Quickly, I palmed the six-shooter that I carried in a low-slung holster on my hip and I fired off two shots at the snake without taking aim. 

My dad rushed over to survey the carnage and much to his surprise (mine too), I had blown the rattlesnake’s head to a distant part of the prairie. Needless to say, I made my dad proud that day, proven by the fact that I heard him tell the story to several friends of his. Certainly, that was one of the most memorable moments we had while walking the hills of southwest Kansas. Looking back, those walks with my father have proven important to me. It wasn’t anything particularly that we did, it was the time we spent together. 

Warm memories of walks with dad come to mind every time I read the story of Enoch in Genesis 5. Enoch’s relationship with God was highlighted by the phrase “he walked with God,” which describes Enoch’s intimate and familiar relationship with his heavenly Father. It seems that Enoch’s life was characterized by righteousness and it was a life pleasing to God. I notice that as I get older, the more I feel compelled to have “walks” with God–times when we are alone together. I enjoy the fellowship with the Father and I hope, somehow, that I make Him proud.

Later on in the story of Enoch, after a long walk with God, the Bible says “he was walking with the Lord and he was no more, for God took him.” What we have here is Enoch’s disappearance from the earthly realm. The reason for his departure is that “God took him,” meaning God took Enoch to be with Him without him having to die. The New Testament Book of Hebrews supports this, stating that Enoch was “translated” by God, meaning he was brought to heaven without experiencing death. 

For me, Enoch is something of a model, the example of a faithful life. He was a testament to the reward of living a righteous life–a life pleasing to God. 

Do I expect to one day just walk off into the distance and disappear with the Lord? No. But, wouldn’t it be grand to be walking with the Lord one day and hear him say, “Son, we’ve walked a long way and you are far from home… why don’t you just come on home with me?