Loading Room

Loading Room

If you are a Montanan or a gun enthusiast, you already know about a loading room. For those who are neither, a loading room is a designated area where you keep you guns, ammo and reloading equipment. It is the equivalent of a man cave. On Saturday afternoons in the cold of winter, you will find diehard rednecks there reloading ammo for next year’s hunting season.

It was a cold February Saturday afternoon when I knocked at the door of Tom’s loading room. I knew he would be there and I was in desperate need of blowing off some steam. I came in, slammed the door and threw my keys on bench. In no uncertain terms I told Tom I was done preaching, parenting and being a husband. I told him I was taking the next Amtrak train out of town and not telling anyone where I was going. I had it!

Tom, a man who was married for a long time and raised a family, didn't skip a beat. He just kept reloading while I kept venting. Finally, when I paused to take a deep breath, he told me to sit down and have a beer. Apparently there was no rush since the train wasn't due in town for a couple of hours.

No sooner had I taken a couple of swings from my Bud Light when Ed, my other friend, showed up. Sensing the seriousness of the situation he closed the door and sat down. Now I had an audience for my frustrations. You see, both Tom and Ed, were elders in church I was pastoring. They weren't about to let me get on that train.

What followed was the adult version of a trip to the woodshed. They let me have it. They spared no words to inform me that the pity party was unacceptable. They understood the pressures I was under but were unwilling to let me wallow in self-pity. Several hours later, I left the loading room, keys in hand, in better shape than when I came. The problems were not solved but I knew these guys had my back.

I have never forgotten that Saturday afternoon and the counsel given me. I shutter to think where I would be without the wise words of those men. The Bible says: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend who corrects out of love and concern…. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens and influences another through discussion.”