A December God Wink

I enjoy spending my time, hour upon hour, in the woods. While there is no better blessing than watching all of God's creations come to life in the morning, it can get a bit exhausting when there are no results ... or when life is simply just being a pain in the back side.

Sitting in the stand, to me, allows a personal / one-on-one conversation with the Big Guy above. During the mornings and afternoons, I believe God hears every thought that is tearing through my mind ... even though at times I'm not sure if her does. Not only is it my time with him, but time with a long lost friend. While I was only a young girl when I knew this man, a mark was left on my life before his passing.

God does not intended for hunting (and of course life) to be easy all of the time. It helps build character and makes hunters grateful for the opportunities to harvest our game ... but every now and then, he will send a wink, letting us know, it is all okay. My God wink this past hunting season, just happened to be during a time that I was down ... mentally and physically. Speaking out loud, not caring if I scared everything in the woods away, I spoke my frustration to both God and this old friend. "Why are these difficulties happening in my life" "Why can't I just have the opportunity at these deer" "I have been hunting my a** off! "I AM EXHAUSTED!!". When everything inside of me was twisting and turning, a calm came over me. Onto the tree limb next to me flew a beautiful owl (for me and my father, the owl was always the comfort of knowing our old friend was near). I stopped. Everything that was consuming me seemed to disappear into thin air. At this moment, the dark sky was drawing near. I soaked in every second as I sat next to this owl. I knew that both God and my old friend had heard my cries out to them. As I climb down the tree, unhooked my stand from the tree and began the long walk out of the woods ... my feathery friend never left my side as he flew from one tree to another.

No, this did not make all of my frustration go away! But it let me know I am not alone. God hears everything we think or say aloud. Consumed with a feeling a comfort, I went on to harvest a beautiful (unfortunately sick) buck in that same spot just two weeks later. And not only that, but it was the first time my dad and me doubled up!

Be on the lookout, GOD just might be winking at you too!