March 3, 2012   

Today's Photograph . . . . Whitetail Buck (NPS)

Bible Study Verse

Luke 16:13

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."  (NIV)

Thoughts

I was in my stand on a cool, clear, and crisp November afternoon. It was the perfect day to be hunting whitetail. The rut was in full gear. The possibility of getting a trophy buck was high, plus it was a great opportunity to get away from the stresses of life. 

The monster eight-point appeared out of nowhere. I began to focus on the deer's rack. In a matter of moments, over twenty years of practice and training flew out the window. I already had the deer mounted and hanging over my bed. The only thing left to do was to convince the wife that this was the best spot to hang my first trophy Michigan whitetail! 

Armed with only two arrows, I released my first shot into the mud at his feet. The second shot flew just over his back. I waited until he sauntered out of sight and climbed down to retrieve my first arrow. He returned and presented me with an easy thirty yard shot. Smack! I hit a small sapling.

It took me a week to get over the pain of missing this buck, but it gave me time to reflect on why I had missed three times. I realized that I wasn't focused on the right thing, those intangibles that had made me a successful hunter over the years. I was too focused on the trophy and not on the hunt. 

(Mike T)

Action Point

We can learn a lot about life through our hunting experiences. A week later, I was fortunate to get a second chance (fourth chance) at the trophy eight- point. This time my focus was clear and right on target. The result was victory and redemption. 

What is your life focus? Are you serving two masters? 

Jesus Christ says it best, "You cannot serve both God and money."

Sportsmen's Tip of the Day

Make sure you have more than two arrows in your quiver. You never know how many opportunities you may get. Who knows, it may even be with the same animal.