Persevere in Patience

Two blogs in a week!? I guess snow/ice days do serve a purpose or maybe I shouldn't be so lazy and write more?.... 3 months later. Ok So I was going to delete this first sentence because obviously I didn’t finish this blog entry when I initially started back in February, but thought it would give it character by leaving it. Now trying to remember what I was going to say….hmmm

Well my faithful readers, those who read to kill a blue jay, already know that I started hunting at a very early age. If you didn't read that post, well now you know hunting and being outdoors was something transcribed into my DNA from my father, his father, his father etc. etc. Don’t worry this doesn’t end badly like it did for the baby duck…

Deer hunting was something I did faithfully every year until I went off to college when my schedule got busier and we lost our lease. So with that said, I had not been deer hunting for about 8 years and I finally got to go this past December! You can imagine the amount of excitement and anticipation I had when invited to go on this hunt. I can’t explain it, but I seriously come alive when outdoors and it was a much needed escape from the city to enjoy some masculine activities.

The morning hunt was designed to let some of the guys who had never been hunting take the first shots. Therefore, I did not have a gun but served as a guide or mentor instead (you can’t imagine how difficult this was for me, but I submitted) and ps ask Justus about his experience ha. I didn't think I would get to officially "hunt" since we could only take 3 does and there were about 4 guys who had never hunted before and they were obviously top on the list. Regardless, I was excited to be in the woods. However, due to prior engagements… Christmas parties, 2 of the 4 had to leave after the morning hunt because the “ladies” needed them there. Whatever. I didn’t mind because that meant I would get to hunt that evening!

So after an afternoon of shooting targets, competition and blowing things, up it was now time to return to the woods. I chose not to take a gun, instead I wanted to challenge myself and go bow hunting since I had never tried it before. I positioned myself in a tripod about 20 yards from the feeder at approximately 3:30 pm, just in time for the sun to start its descent and remain in my eyes the remainder of the evening. Now I need to preface some things about myself in order for this to bear any weight or fruit. I’m not the most patient person. In fact when I was a child, in the period of time when my mom would fill up my bottle and place it in the microwave to warm it up, I would already be screaming “I want my bobble and I want it now!!” Geez kid chill and suck on the pacifier. In fact it was the lack of patience for my campers one summer that brought me to the end of my rope and the Word of God which eventually led to my spiritual awakening. So let’s just say I’ve come a long way but definitely prone to do things myself or get irritated if things don’t happen in the time frame that I think they should. I.e. traffic and I fight a lot.

Anyways back to the hunt… 15 minutes go by, nothing. 30 minutes go by, I hear something behind me and I get excited but it’s just a dumb squirrel. One hour passes still nothing, much of this time my vision is limited because I’m trying to avoid looking out straight and risk any permanent eye damage from the bright sun. Confession, smart phones had not been invented when I went hunting growing up and so every now and then when I got bored I would pull out my phone and check facebook or something haha. I repent… 2 hours of not seeing one deer surpasses, my phone’s almost dead and I am now fidgety and antsy as can be. BUT then… I look over to my left and about 200 yards out I see 3 deer grazing in the field. I look down at my watch and realize I maybe have 30 minutes of daylight left. At the rate they were walking and the direction they were heading, there was no way they’d make it to close enough to me before the sun had set. If I had a gun that would be fine, but I had a bow and arrow and last I checked I wasn’t Robin Hood and William Wallace uses a sword so basically I needed to be closer. I quickly decided to try and sneak my way to get into position where I could possibly take a shot. I scurry through the woods last of Mohican style (crouching) and pop out, legs burning, panting, about 50 yards from where they were. At this point I am close enough to see them clearly, and to my disappointment they are very small bucks, probably just hitting puberty.

I watched them graze for several minutes before deciding I needed to get back to the stand and fetch my flash light before it got too dark. I walked slowly back through the woods hoping that tomorrow morning my luck might be better. As I come out to the clearing on the other side, I abruptly stop in my tracks because I spotted deer at the feeder. They are looking right at me so if I move they’d run away. Finally after what seemed like a long stare down, they slowing lose interest in me and continue eating the corn. I however was stuck in a spot about 80 yards too far to do anything about it. There were about 3 nice size bucks along with their girlfriends and I had to watch them from a distance as the sun slowly set behind the hills.

During that time God really started to speak to me about patience and how if I would have only waited 5-15 more minutes, He would have brought them to me. Instead I was distracted by something in the distance and decided to act on my own free will. I then started to think about all the times I had been impatient and tried to make things happen on my own and the consequences from those decisions. And I was really struck with conviction from my lack of trust in God at times and how it was fleshed out in impatience.

How many of us have tried to walk in the will of God, remaining steadfast in His calling, only to be distracted or led astray because too much time had passed and we gave into the lie that He forgot about us? Is this not similar to what happened to Abraham when he took matters into his own hands and slept with his servant Hagar? So we see Abraham’s impatience or lack of trust in God led to the law and slavery to the law or a self righteous mentality, a will of our own, through the covenant at Mount Sinai (see Galatians 4:21-31). However, it was through the covenant with Abraham and the seed in Sarah that the promise was given and that is where we find our freedom, God’s blessing and joy… Patience represents God’s promises, blessings and His mercy in our lives.

Persevere in Patience. He is good, He does not forsake, He who calls you is faithful and He will surely do it. Do not give up, do not waiver, He will not forget you. If you’re waiting on a spouse, do not settle. If you’re praying for a family member, do not give up. If you’re struggling with finances, don’t stop giving. If you’re trying to have a child, don’t lose faith. If you’re seeking healing, keep on fighting. I know it’s hard and it may seem like eternity but He is always there. I do not say this in vain but as someone who has repeatedly learned the hard way and His way is better. If His eyes are on the sparrow how much more are they on us who are called according to His purpose? Walk in faith, cling to His promises and set your eyes on Him and be assured that during the process time is not being wasted but you’re becoming more like Him. … “because we know that suffering produces perseverance” Romans 5:1-5 and “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds…” James 1:2.