Hope is Fading

 

My friends, this picture taken in 2012 says it all.  My trail camera snapped the photo overlooking the intersection point of multiple deer trails and what used to be a mineral block.  I say "used to be" because they had heavily traveled this area and used that mineral supply for their benefit.  All the deer tracks, pictures on my camera, and devouring of that mineral block pointed to the likelihood that I would tag a deer at this location.  Everything was right -- perfect position, perfect cover, perfect shooting lanes, perfect wind, and perfect concealment.  However, my body language reflected in the picture reveals my true emotions  -- head down and despondent trying to figure out why, so late in the season, I had not seen a deer while in my stand.

Needless to say, that season was a total disappointment.  I did not realize that this picture had been taken until the end of the year when I packed out all of my equipment (stand, camera, trail markers, scent slips, etc.).  In reviewing the final pictures, this one produced a chuckle because no more deer pictures where held on the camera's memory card. To make matters worse, as I entered the woods that final time to  gather my things, several deer jumped up and bolted away -- right where I anticipated they would be all season.  Unfortunately, they did not do as I planned until AFTER the season was over; however, there was a positive -- my little boy was with me that day and was able to see some deer in action. 

As I pondered this event, several lessons immediately came to mind:  (1) absolute perfect planning cannot control for all factors involved in all situations -- God is the one in control not you; (2) failure does not have to be permanent because it can serve as a learning experience — if we choose to accept the  mission of finding the learning opportunities; (3) commitment means continuation when the situation is the most bleak; and (4) tough times reveal who you really are.

While I want to focus on that third and fourth lesson, I need to provide some historical context.  I was in the midst of a horrible hunting stretch - four consecutive years without putting a deer in the freezer.  Two of those years were in South Carolina where I had to drive 1.5 hours one-way just to hunt (which meant I did not go often); and these last two were in NC on a small piece of property that had been recently timbered.  In fact, I only saw two deer all year — a doe, on the first day of the season, that I was going to shoot until her spotted fawn bounded out.  My ethics would not let me shoot “Bambi’s” mom on opening day.  After all, this was a great location with lots of deer on camera; so I'd have many more opportunities, right?  Adding insult to injury, a family member, who is not an avid hunter, was tromping through the woods in shorts and flip flops with a new rifle (not even shot to zero it in) and shot a whopper buck.  He, of course, dangled that over my head not helping ease my frustration

Quite frankly, I struggled with thoughts of “why am I doing this” or “sure does seem like a colossal waste of time.”  However, when I sat in the chilly woods watching the world wake up, those conditions reaffirmed why I was there - the opportunity to be truly alone with God.  As the season progressed and no deer were seen, I questioned my ethics of not shooting that doe with a fawn.  Didn't the landowner want the deer off their property?  That rationalizing of compromise to personally held ethics reveals that they must be firmly established prior to any test that comes our way.  If those convictions are not rock solid, they can (and will) be more easily compromised during the difficult times.  Like I said, difficulty reveals who you really are.

As a man charged with lovingly leading a family, core principles and convictions must be firmly established so that temptation to compromise is resisted with vigor.  Letting go of key values will cost you in the long run as that single compromise can and will lead to a much larger problem later. To grow in strength and retain those convictions, we must be rightly related to to the Sole Source of truth -- God.  Please see Proverbs 8:22-30 for further information on the longevity of wisdom and its relation to God.  In short, He created it and used it to create our spiritual world.  The power of this section is where we see that God enjoys wisdom.  If we are going to be godly men, should we not enjoy the same things that He does

Finally, as the leader of that family, you also have to deal with setbacks and the realization that others may be more "successful" than you are. Never forget that before you can lead others well, you must be able to lead yourself.  Why is that important?  To make sure that your family has the right focus, you must have the right focus.  Far too many men focus on others while forgetting that their example is the one that people will follow.  As godly men, we are to focus on the task ahead and what God has given us rather than our "deficiencies."  God is in control and has given us exactly what we need so that we can glorify Him.

Although hope may appear to be fading, those times are the ones where a man can truly lead his family.  It is during the tough times that people look for leadership, so you have a tremendous opportunity in front of you.  Stick with the powerful statement contained in Philippians 4:11 -- "for I have learned to be content in whatever state I am."  This contentment comes from being rightly related to God because, in that relationship, we gain our identity and have an unending source of wisdom.