Perseverance Pays Off... 

As the wind howled, and the freezing rain pounded me into a trance. I wondered if maybe I should have just stayed in bed. I was the unlucky recipient of the dreaded flu. I fought the urge to pack it in for hours, before I finally gave in about 2 pm.. My head was pounding, I felt like I was on fire, and every so often I had coughing fits that could be heard in the next county. As I climbed down and gathered up my stuff I realized what had brought me hunt here to begin with. The ground was tore up with feeding sign, with fresh droppings everywhere. I walked about 30 yards and felt so terrible I had to sit down. I was standing under a big cedar, which was acting as a huge umbrella. I noticed a small depression by a log, so I decided to just sit there for a few minutes. As I fumbled through my pack looking for some Nyquil, I wondered if this little depression might be my final resting place. After taking a big swig of the nastiest tasting liquid known to man, I put my feet up on the log and laid back against my pack.

The next thing I remember was waking up about 15 minutes before dark. As I slowly regained consciousness I heard something running in the leaves just over a little rise in front of me. I peered up and over the log and saw a wide racked 7 point chasing a smaller 5 pointer. I instantly shot the bigger of the two. He never faltered but ran straight at me from about 60 yards away. He jumped a creek, then turned and angled away. I tried to get up and shoot again but both legs were asleep. I shot 3 more times one handed, and without aiming, just pointing my semi-auto 308 in his direction, all the while trying my best to stand up. As I got to my feet he piled up while the 5 pointer left the country. Before I could move, the smaller buck returned, and was now standing over his nemesis. At this point with my last shell I shot him in the neck for an instant kill. I was an absolute basket case. My head was pounding again, I was deaf, both legs were week and asleep, I think my heart stopped, and I hadn’t taken a breath during the whole ordeal. The combination of the flu, the medicine and the adrenaline just about did me in. I reloaded my rifle in case another pack of wild whitetails tried to overtake me, and then staggered over to observe out my deer. After completing the task of field dressing each of them, I decided it would be nice to have a little dragging help so I headed back to camp.

As I go back to that day in my memory, I see how close I came to missing out on quite possibly one of the finest moments I ever spent in the woods. I wonder how many times Jesus Christ felt like giving up on me. It took Him about 30 years to convince me that life is not life without Him. Without Jesus life is just merely existence. I’m so thankful Christ never quit on me. He knew his own life was headed toward being crucified but he never quit. He knew what the Father had in store for him so he never wavered off the path of Righteousness. Do you know what is in store for you?

No one knows what life has in store for them, but I can tell you what God has for you. Try love everlasting, joy, hope, peace, prosperity, forgiveness, and eternal life just to name a few. Reading your Bible will help you to understand God’s ways. He will reveal wisdom and truths to you as He feels you are ready to use them to glorify His Kingdom.

My grandmother once told me the word Bible stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. How true it is.

How can we expect to please God if we don’t have a clue what he expects from us. Know this, later is now! We are never promised tomorrow so solidify you life with Jesus Christ today. Later is now! Tell your loved ones you love them often, don’t just figure they know it. Well honey I told you I loved you 20 years ago when we got married, and if anything changes I’ll let you know. This will not cut it. Make sure your wife and children feel loved every single day. Try not to take anything or anyone for granted. This is many times easier said than done. Be persistent in all that you do, and Seek First The Kingdom Of God. You will never experience the true joy life has to offer, until your life includes Jesus Christ. If your like me you’ll wonder just how you made it this far without Him.

Hunting for the Lost!
Rick Fuller
4 Outdoorsmen Pro Staff