The day before the guys get there, put on some comfortable clothes and put down your phone. Pick up an ax in one hand and a file in the other and head down to the pit. Sit on the end of a log, lay the ax head on your knee, and slowly sharpen that thing until you could preform surgery with it. Listen to the metal grind away and let your mind go wherever it wants. Then stand up, square yourself against a log, and take a deep breath.

When you’re ready, look just past the log into space and let your eyes relax. Then say the simple words, “hey, God” just loud enough to hear your own voice.

Then…swing away.

Cutting wood is pure meditation, which, if you haven’t heard, is very good for you. It’s also one of the best environments to talk to God. So go ahead, talk. No one can hear you…so say whatever you want. Be the truest version of yourself; you actually need that every so often. Talk to God about the decisions you’re making, what you’re afraid of, and what you hope for. Ask for things. Ask to feel his presence.

Sound too touchy-feely? It’s not…in fact; you do it all the time. You physically feel the presence of job stress, don’t you? Why not feel the freedom of a completely honest conversation with a God who knows everything anyway. Let your blood pressure come down…let your jaw relax.

Somewhere in all this conversation, talk with God about the group. Ask him to help you, acknowledge to yourself that this is really an opportunity to let him do things with the group.

Finally, when the wood is stacked in the pit and you have enough laying around for the guys to toss in, stand back and look at it all. Look at what you get to do! Guys get to come be their true selves because you dug a hole and invited them over.

Make the last part of the conversation with God be this: tell him thank you for giving you the honor of leading these guys…because he did, and it is.