Wednesday noon. I pulled up in front of a restaurant in North Kansas City, anxious to meet up with Pastor Jay and a couple of Kurdish friends. This is the part of town most Kurds in Kansas City call home. Held up by a previous meeting, I hustled in from the cold and found my party having already polished off lunch and engaged in deep discussion.

Across the table from Jay and me sat two very impressive young adults. One, a dynamic young man who is a relatively new but radiant believer in Jesus Christ. His faith is contagious and he wears his passion on his sleeve. Next to him a young woman I had only met this past Sunday. She is from a Muslim background and has a wonderfully sweet spirit that I find compelling. She is bright, articulate and curious about life. Together they share a love for their people, heritage and culture. Our desire to be friends of the Kurds was the thread that dominated our conversation. Man! I love these two and get energized just being in their presence.

At one point my young Kurdish friend asked Pastor Jay if he had read a book entitled In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. He had asked me the same question Sunday morning and I told him I was indeed familiar with the book. Here’s an Amazon.com product review blurb that pretty accurately capsulizes the essence of the book.

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn’t chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, a blessed and audacious act that left no regrets: “Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 -21). Unleash the lion chaser within!

When it was time to say our goodbyes, I tied my scarf, zipped up my coat and headed out the door. While we were talking, the fifth snow storm in two weeks had begun and speckled my navy blue pea coat with dots of white. The few streaks on the pavement that earlier were scrapped clean,  once again were covered with snow.  I quickly slipped into my vehicle, thankful that the predicted blizzard-force winds and below zero temperatures were still a few hours off.  Turning the ignition key brought the radio to life, already announcing cancellations for evening activities.

Hmmmm. When the snow begins to swirl, most of us begin to hunker down. Put on the hot chocolate, throw another log on the fire and let’s stay home while someone else plows the streets!

Benaniah took advantage of a snowy day to chase a lion down into a pit and kill it.  In the tight confines of the pit there is no place to run or hide. The ground is cold, hard and icy. One slip and it’s all over. He aggressively and intentionally pursued a beast that would paralyze most people in abject terror. And he did it on a snowy day. Imagine!

So, what do YOU do on a snowy day? Wait for the thaw, or take advantage to charge straight ahead and grapple with some of your greatest challenges?

DANG! It’s snowing. Where’s that lion? Got any lions on your agenda? Can you name on that needs to be on your list for tomorrow?