A Reputation Earned
Otto was a pain on his best day. Most days he was just plain sleazy. How did one know if Otto was lying? Well, if his mouth was moving, the odds were there was a lie coming out of it. For the reader who remembers WKRP in Cincinnati, it seemed that Herb Tarlek may have been his inspiration in life. Otto was the sales manager for a small market TV station. Before that, he sold other things that were common to “closers” in the 90s: appliances, headstones, investments, siding, and windows. But the day he called me and asked for a meeting, he was selling TV ads, and I had about run out of patience to tell him yet again, no more. No more broken promises, no more lies, no more unethical tactics.
But there was something in his voice on the phone that suggested something was different.
“I Won’t Sell You Anything”
At my hesitation, he quietly promised, “I won’t sell you anything. Plan on two hours and I’ll buy at your favorite place.” Knowing that came from Otto, I made sure I had plenty of cash for lunch. While he had an expense account, he was known to have T-Rex arms when the bill came.
He led the conversation with a jovial, “How’s the bird hunting been?!” As much as that question most always gets me talking, I was wary.
“Let’s just say I’m still feeding my three kids with store-bought food. But you didn’t call to talk bird hunting…”
Cracks Beneath the Surface
“Well, kind of… sort of… I really want to hunt. I just need to get away… I need to do something to relax… I need…” Otto looked at his lap for a long, long time. When he finally looked up, he had tears in his eyes.
“I can’t breathe. I can’t sleep. I need to get away. I need…”
Oh boy. While we had known each other for years, we did not have this kind of relationship. At that point in time, I wouldn’t share a BBQ recipe with him, let alone anything of consequence. But here we were in a back corner of a restaurant with the best spring rolls this side of Ho Chi Minh City.
A Deflection and a Doorway
After a long silence, he mustered what breath he could to shift topics. “I heard you got a new hunting dog. I want one too. Are there any littermates left?” I had just spoken to the breeder and let her know that my chisel-headed, field-bred golden was fitting in great—in his tenth week and virtually house trained. She had told me the runt was still available if I knew anyone.
“I think there is. I got the pick male. He’s gonna be a beast. This was a breeding I’ve waited two years for… but the runt female is still available.”
“I want her. And the girls will love a female puppy.” With that statement, he abruptly got up from the table and headed to the restroom. He was gone for a long time.
A Prayer at the Table
During my time alone, I felt at once uncomfortable. It was obvious that there was a lot going on below the surface with my acquaintance (not friend), and he chose me to share it with. I set down the spring roll and prayed, “Father, is this someone You want me to form a disciplemaking friendship with? It frankly feels like a reach. But this is Your work. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit.” Otto returned to the booth, and we soon ordered the rest of lunch. For whatever reason, the conversation pivoted to routine business chatter that felt empty—words to fill time.
Truth Finally Spoken
“I think I’ve caught up with myself,” he said. “I like to think of myself as a super salesman, and it leads to me lying—to customers, to bosses. I never want to lose a sale and find myself saying anything to get it.” Then he went on—about taking those lies home, about debt, broken trust, failing at work, and a ticking clock of sixty days to turn it all around. “I can’t rest. I need to get away and clear my mind. I just think, based on the group of guys you take hunting up north, I’d be able to relax. All you guys tell such tremendous stories of your time together.”
A Different Question…
- “What do you think will happen on this trip to help you sleep?”
- “Just getting away with some guys and having some laughs!”
- “And what will be different when you come home?”
- Silence—until the food arrived.
- “Otto, would you pray over this meal?”
Surrender
Another long silence. Then sobbing.
“I got it…”
And I prayed over Otto, asking for His presence in Otto’s life. A long conversation followed about the absence of Christ in his life and the accountability he carried for his choices. It was one of those deep, difficult talks—but in sharing Christ, the words came easy.
A New Dog, A New Direction
A few weeks later, Otto had a new pup in hand. Otto came to Christ and repaired many broken relationships while building trust among family. He joined many training days that summer, and a disciplemaking friendship developed along the way. He was a regular in grouse camp. His littermate had been named by his daughters. He did not seek wise counsel on hunting dog names and was forever harassed as he called out “Honeeeeeeeeey!” as she pushed the edges looking for birds.
Echoes in the Coverts
As Honey neared the end of her time in the woods, Otto came down with late-stage cancer. He wasn’t the lonely man I had met that day for lunch. He slept. He developed trusted friendships. We still hunt coverts he named through the years and smile at the echoes of “Hoooney!” knowing he is in a better place.
The Way of Disciplemaking
“Make disciples.”— Jesus
Otto is one example of a Christ-like disciplemaking way of life. If you are ready to be intentional in your Walk Afield and would like to hear more about what we offer for training and teaching, please reach out.
If you’re ready to take up Christ’s call and explore what disciplemaking can look like in your life, we’d love to walk alongside you.