WTO, West Texas Outfitters

WTO, the West Texas Outfitters. How could you know? My father had his group of buddies that he went hunting with. They dubbed their group the WTO. How could he know that they would all affect their children so profoundly? I am now 36 years old and they have been together since before I was born. In their plight to get away and go hunting together, our families were joined together. We were raised with this certain group of kids that were not our blood relatives, but now are our family. We watched our parents stick it out together. They have laughed together and cried together. They have been hurt by others and each other, but in their commitment to each other they have remained friends. What did we, as your children learn from you? Their are so many lessons! How can we count them all? But there is one that I will share, for it is an important lesson that our generation, as a whole, has forgotten.

How often do we allow someone to get just close enough to us that they offend us and we in turn dump them as our companion. "I am offended," we say, "and I do not have to take it from you." With our offense we abandon them as our friend and go away proudly holding on to our rights. We are a generation that has lost the ability to stick it out. We have lost our ability to build close relationships. We do not know what it means to live out a life with someone, because we do not know how to not get offended. So, we live out our life alone, not knowing where everyone has gone and we think it is their fault.

The WTO consists of 6 men and their wives. Out of this group of 6, 5 are still married to their fist wife, all are still friends. In our group of "kids" 50% of us have been divorced. Our generation has a "right" to leave if we find ourselves unhappy. None of us know of another person, or group of people, that has been more committed than our parents. They have stuck it out through the hard and good times. They have remained loyal and they understand what it means to forgive.

Galatians 5:22, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." I want to thank my WTO family for displaying the fruits of the Spirit for all of your children. Through your lives we have learned many lessons. We have seen you fall on your face. Then, because of your love for one another, we have watched you pick each other up and walk out this life together. None of us have walked out this life perfectly, we all still make many mistakes, but because of your example we are still learning from you and thank you for your example of commitment that our generation has lost. Because of your life, your children have something that many others do not have. We have an example of how to remain committed. We have an example of how to live out this life with others, and their faults. We have an example of how to make a true and lasting friend.

To the WTO, thank you. I am sorry for my part in not showing my life a better example of the life that you lived. There was a time when I bought the lies of my generation, but because of you, I now can see. I have played my part in our statistics, but for this next part of my life, I can do better. Thank you for showing me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank you for sticking out this life together, so I can do better in the future and my children will learn this valuable lesson too. Exodus 20:6, "...I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands." Thank you, from all of us who follow after you, to be part of a beautiful blessing.