As I sat overlooking the eastern edge of our family farm and beyond, I couldn’t help but notice that conditions couldn’t have been much better for deer hunting. Temperatures were in the mid-forties, there was just a slight breeze, and I was downwind of the trails from which deer usually entered. It was overcast and a steady very light rain started to fall – another good situation in my mind. The rain wasn’t heavy enough to deter deer movement and wasn’t expected to last anyway. Plus, I could remember other past successful hunts with similar conditions. With high expectations, I continued to survey the ridges and tree lines in my line of sight.
After a few minutes, I felt a splat on the bill of my cap – and then another.
A doe and two yearlings came into view from a trail along a wood lot 150 yards out. They were cautious, but the misty rain seemed to calm them and certainly would mask my sound. It’s difficult for me to view nature without the obvious sense that God not only created it but has a plan for it. Further, it’s not uncommon for me to have moments when His grace is apparent; especially when I’m in the outdoors. It was indeed good to be in the deer woods and I was seeing activity early in the hunt.
Splat. The rain dripping through the seam of the crude repurposed tin roof increased. The ambiance of the rain was a great thing, but I was gradually getting wetter, making the temperature not so perfect anymore. The drizzle stopped and started several times over the next hour and I realized I hadn’t prepared or repaired.
Unlike many other hunters these days, the box blinds on our family place are homemade and we maintain them by the seat of our pants. If the floor or a wall is getting weak, we replace it. Though we occasionally build new blinds, we never buy any of the fancy ones that grace big box stores and feed store yards. Call it our cheap German blood or old school mentality. It’s really neither here nor there.
The fact was that I had seemingly loaded my backpack with the right gear, dressed for the expected weather, and chosen my stand based on wind direction. Further, I had applied my cover scent and strategically entered the area from an optimal direction. My stand placement was ideal, with a great view of a couple of heavy deer trails and a really good scrape. I even brought good snacks…
Nonetheless, I found myself wet and grumpy and wasn’t really feeling any grace at all. In fact, I thought to myself, this kind of sucks.
Putting Yourself in the Path of God’s Grace
I can flip a switch, but I don’t cause electricity. Likewise, I can wear the best camo on the market, but can’t make the right deer approach my stand. Oh, and I can check the weather forecast, but can’t create the perfect hunting conditions. In a sense, the same can be said for the Christian and God’s ever available grace.
I had checked most of the boxes. However, I had neglected a couple of basic ones. I donned a rain-resistant jacket, yet I found myself with wet jeans and an irreverent attitude. The elephant in the blind, however, was my procrastination over fixing the inadequate roof (for a couple of seasons at that). I hadn’t truly set myself up for success – or grace. Yeah, it was pretty hard to garner it, even in such a suitable setting.
The hunt continued with sightings of over a dozen deer, including 2 nice bucks. In fact, one of them was one I was completely unfamiliar with. 
Despite being a little too young to shoot under our management plan, he was a majestic sight and represented good scouting information. The deer all came and went, leaving me happy that I had hunted. Well, kind of. The truth is that my lack of preparation ultimately left me sitting in the dark dreading the cold trip back to the house aboard the golf cart. Ultimately, my water-logged head and pants outweighed the great evening of hunting and any grace associated with my quality time spent in His earthly kingdom. What a turn of mental events – and in the wrong direction.
God is generous with his grace and often delivers it with little or no cooperation on our part. It’s a free gift. We can’t earn it or force it to come. We can, however, position ourselves to receive it. He provides outlets through which He makes His grace clearly abundant, such as prayer, fellowship, and scripture. Another such outlet is the outdoors; at least for me.
Consequently, these are all channels we can access in the hunting camp and blind. Of course, it might take a little preparation, such as tending to an irreverent attitude or leaky roof.
