Tracking the deer
It's hunting season. A time of the year that, in my opinion, should come with a warning. If you have never experienced it, you are probably rolling your eyes right now. If you fall into the category of not understanding hunter talk, then bare with me here. I will try to set the stage in a way that you will understand too!
Opening day. This might make you scratch your head and wonder what is exactly opening? A new store? School? A new restaurant? But if you ask "one of us", our hearts start pumping in anticipation. Opening day is a national holiday to some people. They take off of work, they skip school, they are not seen for a good 8 hours that day. They wake at 4:30 a.m., get dressed in layers, grab their weapon and climb a tree. They sit there patiently for hours on end in hopes of seeing "the one". About 2 hours into it though, their extremities go numb from the cold and they start getting fidgety. I know, this sounds so exciting doesn't it? I don't think I am convincing any of you to try it out, am I? Anyhow, it is about the time when all patience has worn out that you are rewarded with your first look at a deer. It is hard to explain exactly what happens next, but in the span of about 10 seconds, your heart is beating out of your chest, and your body is burning hot. You start shaking and talking to yourself. It goes something like this: "holy cow, calm down, be patient, wait till it stops!" It is crazy, but it is a thrill! And it is just the start of months of the same thing!
Now that I have painted the picture, I am sure you all can't wait to hear of our hunting experiencesJ!
Yesterday earned the coveted title of "opening day". It was such a gorgeous morning. One thing that I love about hunting is that you get out there so early, and get to slowly watch everything wake up! The sunrises hardly ever disappoint me and I get to spend hours just talking to God. It is amazing.
I had just settled into my stand, when I realized that just off to my right, I had a perfect view of another hunter across the creek. It was my oldest son, and I could see everything that was coming in and going out of the field around him. There hadn't been much activity in his direction for a while, so I had started looking the other way. It was about the time I thought our day was done, when out of the blue a gunshot scared me to death. We had been hearing them all morning all around us, but this one was so close that I knew it was someone on the same property as me. I raised my optics to see my son staring at me with thumbs up. It was awesome to be able to watch his excitement! After waiting for a while, my husband met me and we went to see what he had gotten. Luke is one of those people that can spot a deer from a mile away. It is one of those things that makes me shake my head in amazement. As soon as we entered Jared's field, Luke spotted it. You could tell by the smile on his face, that he was excited about something. He ran right to it. It was the best kind of hunt. We didn't have to track it at all!
Not all hunts go like that though. This was picture perfect. There are times that we have to track the deer. Now I am a person that really likes to be good at everything. It actually drives me crazy to be 2nd fiddle. I can tell you, that when it comes to tracking a deer, I am 2nd fiddle, actually maybe 3rd fiddle; I don't really know, I just know that my husband has a skill. If this was a spiritual gift, he could completely claim it as his! I am not joking when I say that he can find a pin drop of blood amongst a field of overgrown weeds! It is crazy to watch him. I have learned that I just need to follow his lead, a position I don't do very well at all. The times that amaze me the most, are when he is tracking in the dark. If you have never done this, is may seem impossible. Actually, it seems impossible to me and I have done it a million times.
One night in particular, we were tracking a deer at night. It was my deer, so I was very impatient. He had told me to go to the place where I thought I had shot it, and find some blood, (sorry if this is gross), and so I went searching. I couldn't find anything, and I was getting anxious. Luke finally got there and immediately found it. As I was walking up to him, I saw that he was using different color lights. I was shining my bright light all around and walking in every direction, when patiently he asks me to keep my light away and stop walking around so much. I asked him why he was using the colored lights, and he told me that the blood shines when he used the special lights.
Have you ever been to a point when you just can't find Jesus? It doesn't happen every single time you hit a low spot. There are definant times when you can just walk right into His arms. But there are those times, when you go to where you think He should be, and He's not. Ever felt this hopeless anxious feeling? It becomes an almost panic! You shine your light in wide circles, frantically looking left and right. You know that He can't be far. But yet, the trail is nowhere to be found. At this point, what do you do?
It amazes me how quickly we can forget how to get back to the cross. You may think that Jesus is just over that next hill, but what you don't know, is that you wandered over 3 hills and across a creek and around a bend. You were so distracted with everything that you call "life", that when the time came to come Home, you finally took a breath and looked around. It is at this point that your blood goes cold. The scenery has changed so much, and the trail has been cold for so long, you quickly realize that there is not one thing recognizable! You panic. Your heart races. You are frozen with fear. You are alone; at least it feels that way.
I have had messages from people before that have said this same exact thing. People that feel they have fallen far from God. They are empty, hungry and scared. They ask for help finding their way back. This is the key. Your light isn't working…but someone else may be able to shine a new light on your situation. You can't remember how to use Jesus' Power, so you must find someone who can help guide you to the right path! There are people all around you that know Jesus. They know where He is and they know how to get you there. Allow them to lead you, be the 2nd fiddle and use their light. Remember that the path back to Jesus is sprinkled with a substance that under a special light will shine. His Blood. It might be a pin drop, but He will never hide it from you. You might just be in a spot where you have become rusty in your skills of seeking Him, you may not recognize Him anymore at all.
John 1:9 "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him."
Jesus hasn't left. You may just have moved. The cool thing about Him, is that if it took you 2 years to stray far away, it will take a far shorter trip getting back to His Feet; a trip consisting simply of hitting your knees. You may need a reminder, and in these times, seek out a friend who can help you light the path. Take it from me, if you try searching by yourself, you may find that what you have armed yourself with is the wrong kind of light. Find someone who knows the "true light" that will lead you back to the cross. He is waiting for you!
