First Deer of the Year!
posted by on 11/26/08
On Opening Day, no Staddon hunters saw any deer at all and had to end the hunt early due to a drizzly rain that wouldn’t stop. This was unusual and a bit disheartening. That evening, I didn’t know if I wanted to hunt the next day or not—I needed my rest before Thanksgiving and I had a lot to do. So I decided not to set my alarm.
Tuesday morning I suddenly woke up at 4:30 and felt completely rested! “Should I go hunting?” I wondered. I decided to check the weather but the forecast looked uncertain. I couldn’t decide one way or the other so I opened my Bible. A verse stood out to me in Proverbs that read, “A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again”. I thought, “We’ve only failed once! Why should I be discouraged?” Inspired by the testimonies I had heard from Larry Guthrie two weeks before, I asked the Lord to give me a testimony with this hunt.
Getting on my gear, I headed outside, only to realize that a wet snow was already falling. As I walked through the woods, however, I noticed that the snow was accumulating on the ground! This was a blessing because it would create excellent visibility! I had decided to take a different path into the woods than usual and hunt in an unusual spot, but when I reached the tree stand I decided just to stay there. It amazes me how all these factors came into play to make the hunt successful. When I first saw the deer it looked like a decent size and when it moved out of the brush I noticed the antlers. It had apparently spent the night in the bramble patch, which meant that if I had come in the way we normally do I would have jumped it up and scared it off! I watched it for a long time as it made its way closer and closer to me. Finally it stood broadside in a clear place giving me an excellent shot.
I praise the Lord for putting everything together in a way that I never could have done on my own, from waking me up to guiding my decisions, my steps, and the weather, and of course for bringing it in to supply the needs of the family.
Congratulations on that nice looking deer! My dad and brother have each harvested a buck so far. We are still working on cutting up all that meat! Thank the Lord for His provision!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Michael! That was incredible to read. I could identify with everything you said and the feeling of what it is like to follow the Lord’s leading step by step. Truly we have a great number of things for which to give thanks this harvest season! The Lord continue to give you His bountiful blessing in the year ahead as you remain ready to direct the credit all to Him!
Congratulations on the deer! Did it come from y’alls property?
Nice that you got a deer. Good story, unique perspective. Sort of like Jacob and Isaac: “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The LORD your God gave me success.”