The Deer Hunter's Dream

Ere my flesh concedes its unequal fight,
And ends the mournful trek from life to dust,
Boundless hope spins webs of visions bright;
Heaven holds a high stand for me, I trust!
God may graciously condescend to share
His with me, as I with Him, birth of day.
As first light of dawn unveils the night's snare,
Early cool entices the deer to play;
I dream He beckons me with knowing smile
To His own lofty perch of matchless view
Where we both sit and silently beguile
A sixteen-point step out as day is new!
Who knows but what He gives me leave to stay
For the miracle of a second day!

The true deer hunter enjoys the time spent in the stand waiting for daylight. The killing of a beautiful creature of God is not his primary joy. He relishes the still, quiet hours for meditation with the Creator that provides him with this most thrilling of all his experiences, whether he is a public Christian or a simple outdoorsman that appreciates the nature he enjoys so much. His most noble and uplifting thoughts come to him in the dark hours he spends waiting for dawn.

The true hunter does not have an itchy trigger finger ready to act at the slightest movement. Every sportsman-hunter has sat transfixed and watched the prize of his life pass safely across the open without so much as lifting his rifle, because of his admiration for a God who makes such rare and beautiful sights and who allows him the opportunity to "let it be", so that others can enjoy the sight. It takes a true hunter to allow a great deer to walk slowly out and stand broadside to his stand, without levelling his telescopic sights on the ribcage, remove the safety pin, hold his breath and squeeze the trigger.

After all, God killed and skinned the first animal in order to make clothes to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness. He would not have killed it for no good purpose; neither should we.