OUTDOOR TRUTHS

Preparation for deer season is in full swing. Just check out any of your favorite groups or people on social media and you’ll see that we’re all doing the same thing. Checking stands and cameras. Making food plots. Shooting bows and guns. Gathering clothes, boots, and other gear. It’s all happening right now. In some places the season will open in a few days. In others, it’s just around the corner. And nothing brings a greater sense of peace than being prepared before the season gets here. The rest that comes from readiness is unparalleled. Sure, there will be unseen frustrations, but these always add flavor to our hunting stories.

I heard a story about a farmer looking for a hired hand. One person that applied didn’t look especially strong or skilled. And when asked what made him qualified for the position, he simply said, “I can sleep in a storm.” The farmer didn’t understand the answer, but something about this man, drew the farmer to give him the job. He turned out to be a good worker. As it often does, one night a violent storm swept across the farm. The farmer jumped out of bed in a panic and rushed to wake his hired hand but found him sound asleep. Frustrated, the farmer checked the farm himself. To his surprise, everything was secure. The shutters were latched, tools put away, animals sheltered, and the hay was covered. The hired hand could sleep in the storm because he had prepared well before bad weather arrived.

One of the lessons of this story is that much of our concern is wasted energy. It comes because we didn’t prepare beforehand. But there’s an even greater truth here. It’s not just about our preparation. It’s about God’s. The Bible tells of another storm, one that came suddenly while Jesus and His disciples were on a boat. The wind howled and the waves crashed, and the disciples panicked. And when they looked for Jesus, He was asleep. He could sleep in the storm because He controlled the storm. And that’s the real encouragement for us. While we do our best to prepare for the things in life, there will always be unexpected storms. It’s then that our deepest peace won’t come from what we do or even from how well we have prepared. It will come from trusting the One who has taken care of the storm even before we knew it was coming. There’s never been a storm that has kept Jesus awake. And yours won’t either.

THE VIEWS OF SUBMITTED EDITORIALS MAY NOT BE THE EXPRESS VIEWS OF THE ALABAMA GAZETTE.