Before continuing with details of my high school years, let me mention two things that came into my life that had a profound and lasting effect on my life. Both of these events came about in a sort of transition period from the elementary school years into the teenage chapter of my life and it is probably quite accurate to say that these two influences very much control, to a large degree, how I live my life and what fills my thoughts daily to this very day.
The first of these things was my acceptance of the Creator's plan for all mankind; my baptism into Christ. So many people in this world are searching for answers, wondering why we are here and what we are supposed to do while here on this earth. The answer is revealed for all who will accept it, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." That's it – respect for God and living in the way He wants us to live is the reason we were placed on this earth! Someone has said, "Jesus left His home to come to our home so that we could go to His home". His home must be a wonderful place for Him to go through all He had to endure just so mankind could have the opportunity to live with Him!
The second thing that has influenced my life so thoroughly is when my Dad introduced me to hunting. First it was quail hunting and then deer hunting. In my adult years, I've come to love deer hunting so fervently that there is no time to spend hunting anything else. It is a deeply spiritual experience to sit in a tree stand high above the ground and watch the sun rise above the tree line and the woods come alive with activity. Hunting during the early bow season affords the opportunity to see deer in their true element before they become spooked by the noise of rifles and muzzleloaders. Time spent in the woods is the most peaceful and pleasant moments in my life and truly is what keeps me sane.
The truth is that these two life changing influences in my life are really intertwined with each other. My love for the Creator and the Creation truly go hand in hand. I believe it is because of the spiritual connection to nature that the Creator has always sanctioned hunting as evidenced by the reference to Esau as "a skillful hunter" and to Nimrod as "a mighty hunter before the Lord". So, as the blessing to go on a deer hunting trip to Illinois approaches, I look forward with high anticipation to enjoying the wonders of nature and remembering why we are on the earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment