”Do Not Be Discouraged….”

It was cold and dark as I stood at the edge of the thicket that bordered the shooting lane that I was standing in while firecrackers popped off in the distance. It was the evening of January 1, 2021 and just moments before, I’d shot at the largest buck I’d ever seen on the hoof. With no blood and just a few hairs where he was standing, I faced where he entered the wood line and contemplated pushing through the briars to see if there was sign of a good hit just beyond the thorns. 

As soon as I made my decision to push inward, my sense of hearing heightened and I heard it. “Heeee, heeee, heeee, heee,” was the noise coming from about 75 yards beyond the natural wall. I stood there concentrating on what that sound could be and then it hit me like cold ice water; “That’s him out there breathing” I whispered to myself. 

I’ve hunted whitetail deer for over 30 years and the one thing that I’ve learned in that time is patience. Patience when you sit, patience when you shoot, and patience when you track. Knowing when to pull back and be patient on a track can often times be the difference in a recovered animal and a lost one. And this deer was large enough that I knew immediately that I should be patient. 

That decision led to the recovery the next day of a deer that is still my personal best and once again proved that patience is a virtue. 

But heres the thing; patience in an outdoors related situation is a whole lot easier than patience in real life circumstances. When we’re fishing, we can sling a rod all day and wait for just one bite. But when a situation is something that could directly affect our lives, often times we panic and have worry or anxiety about what “could” happen and patiences goes out the window. 

January 9, 2024 is a day that I’ll never forget. The company that I’ve been with since 2004 announced that they’re closing our division indefinitely. Now that means, maybe forever or maybe a few months. But either way, this ole boy was about to be scratching an unemployed rear end. Oddly, I was at peace with the news then and I’m still at peace with the news now. 

“How in the world can someone be at peace with the fact that they’ll be out of a job soon?” You’re probably wondering. Man that’s easy. It’s not any type of medication that’s keeping me from a full blown panic attack. Trust me, I’ve been down that road too. The only thing keeping me focused is the most important thing I’ve learned in the last two years.

I fully believe in Joshua 1:9. 

A year ago this February I went on a men’s retreat with a group of guys from Union Parish and it was amazing. I’d never been on one before but my life had me in a place that I knew I needed that experience. And friends, what an experience it was. I won’t go into much detail but I will tell you that it changed my life forever. It was there that I received a little journal with Joshua 1:9 engraved on the cover and I still use that journal every Sunday to take notes on from what the sermon was about each day. 

By believing in Joshua 1:9 I also know God has a plan for me and my life. He’s never lead me wrong before and he surely will not forsake me now. Maybe this is leading me somewhere else, who knows. The only thing I’m for certain on right now is that God is in control of my future and all I have to do is wake up every morning and keep hitting the marks to see where that plan leads me. 

I’d love to write, podcast, and do voiceover work for a living but that’s going to take more sponsors and customers than I currently have but if that’s God’s plan, they’ll come. And if not, He’ll send something else my way, but my focus now is on soaking in the fact that I have to have patience and faith for His plan to take shape.

I’m friends with a pro fisherman on social media who will remain anonymous and I reached out to him recently how to make contacts in the fishing industry so that I can grow the website and my podcast. It’s a dream of mine to be able to do that and use my talents that God gave me with writing and running my mouth. 

Fully expecting to be ghosted, imagine my surprise when he responded and with not only a response but an honest one. The last line of his text made me relax even more than I already was. 

“Be patient”.  

I took a deep breath. I held it. 

And I started to use my talents and relax. I also started write and let God use me as a vessel.