Letter From A Hangarman
Greetings Hangar Men. My name is Rick Lachney.
I have been married to my beautiful wife Dinah for almost 22 years, we have an 11 year old Daughter named Raley, a 9 year old Son named Rhett, and a 1 year old blue heeler named Fancy. We attend Broadmoor Baptist church where our Wednesday night Men’s Bible study group recently studied through “The Beatitudes”.
About a month ago, Austin asked me if I would write a Journal/email entry about it and I have managed to successfully put it off until last week when he “circled back with me” to see where I was. I recognize this tactic….its one my Grandfather frequently employed when I was taking longer than he expected to accomplish a task by saying “hey boy, it’s time to💩 or get off the pot.” So here I am….thinking about how much I miss my wise old motivational speaker of a grandad, my habit of procrastinating, and what an awkward spot my bad habits often put other people in.
The Beatitudes are a group of verses recorded during Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount in which He describes the attributes of one who is blessed by God and they are as follows:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
Matthew 5:3-11 ESV
Do any of these attributes come easily for you? I know they don’t for me……as a matter of fact, when I try to do things my way….. I’m afraid I might be better described as one who displays self righteousness, a desire for pleasure, brashness, wickedness, ruthlessness, hypocrisy, contentiousness, and a desire to be comfortable and avoid persecution.
I probably lean more toward Ricky Bobby’s motto “if you ain’t first you’re last”…….and I certainly don’t feel blessed if someone utters evil against me! That makes me want revenge! I think if we are all honest with ourselves, this is what we default to. This is where Satan wants us and the behavior that makes him feel like he is winning. This is the reality the world tells us we should exist in as men and the example we should set for those watching us! This is why I am so very thankful to have the unending patience, love, mercy, forgiveness, and gentleness of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I am also so very thankful for my small group of godly hangar men that know me fully and are fully known by me that I get to sit with each week who welcome my confession of where I am, what I am afraid of, and what I want. They help me stay grounded and help calibrate my moral compass through honest feedback and I am certain that they have my best interest in mind. Community and accountability are a vital part of wading through the unavoidable, sinful, muck that we encounter in this world and I genuinely hope that each of you see the necessity in it and are willing to reach out to your Hangar brothers to experience the freedom that comes though knowing them and being fully known by them!
By no means do I have this all figured out but I know I am a healthier husband, father, and friend when I seek God’s guidance for my life daily and lean on my hangar brothers to keep me sharp. I hope to see you all November 22-23 at Tanglewood! I can’t wait to see what God is going to do!
Rick Lachney.
