Over the years, as a pastor, father, husband, and hunter I’ve learned that the best things in life come to those who wait. Now, with that being said, this concept of having patience isn’t something new to anybody, but it has been something the Lord has been teaching me a lot of these past few months.
This 2015 spring turkey season was no exception however, it has been one for the books. I truly feel blessed to have harvested all three of my turkeys this year with my bow. I wish I could say it was easy, but each hunt proved to be difficult in its own way. On one of the hunts I made what I thought was a perfect shot right in the center of the wing only to find out that it wasn’t a kill shot. I tracked the bird for a few hours just to end up kicking it up and pushing it further into the thick brush. I ended up having to go to work, but returned eight hours later with my pointer. I figured my bird dog could find anything, and as luck would have it, she found my wounded bird in a matter of minutes. However, it was still alive and running. Fortunately for me, my pointer loves fast food and she made quick work in stopping the turkey long enough for me to catch it. Fun hunt, but not easy.
It doesn’t get much better then getting up early in the morning and walking through the woods, just as the sun rises, hearing the sounds of those big Toms gobbling across, and throughout the canyons. The anticipation that at any moment you might see a long bearded Tom pop it’s head over the hill so you can take the shot that you have been waiting for all year long only to have it all taken away.
When suddenly all the gobbling stops, I start questioning myself. ”Did I do everything right? Did I call too much or not enough? Was I making too much noise? Did my calls sound like a turkey or a chicken?” Either way, the gobbling has stopped. Now what? The only thing you can trust in is that you have done all that you could do leading up to this point and hoping that all of those annoying turkey calling instructional CD’s paid off. However, even knowing that you did all that you could still leaves the next part of the hunt uncertain, to say the least.
Anyone who has ever hunted turkeys knows that the gobbling of a turkey starts at the roost and stops when the Jake or Tom finds what they are looking for. Usually that’s the rest of their flock. You might still hear a cluck or a purr or even a gobble from time to time but it won’t be anything like what you hear at first light.
Now you’re at this quiet point in your hunt with not turkey in sight. You can either pack it up and call it a day, or you can wait it out hoping and praying that a turkey you want to shoot heard your desperate call or maybe even saw your decoys from across the canyon and are on their way.
I will be the first to admit that I’ve called it quits many times at this point. But, in hunting the name of the game is patience. There have been many times in my life that I’ve become tired of being patient and I’ve either quit or tried to make something out of nothing. I must say that this hardly ever turns out to be good for anybody.
Most people don’t like to wait on anything. We often get frustrated waiting. Waiting behind a slow car, for our coffee to be made or even for our phone to charge. We usually want results right away. This mindset often carries over into our spiritual life. James 1:4 tells us, “But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing.” When I look back at all the times in my life that I had to wait for something, I can honestly say that the Lord was teaching me something. In most cases my waiting was teaching me to be more dependent on God which usually also revealed my true motives for wanting something.
David writes in Psalms 46:10, ”Be still and know that I am God.” I think, at the end of the day, this is the key. Knowing who you put your trust in, then being ok with the results of trusting in that person and being willing to wait for the outcome. The question is, “Who are you putting your trust in?” Is it in God, who holds the whole world in His hands? Is it trusting in yourself, who certainly doesn’t have all the answers? Or even in others, who will most likely let you down?
Going back to those turkeys….just because they’ve stopped gobbling doesn’t mean that they’re not on their way. So, be patient and trust in the process. While you are waiting enjoy those you are with and the beauty around you because you are blessed.
Written by,
Pastor Kevin Ratliff