Hunting with Anticipation

It was opening day of shotgun season 2015. It was a cold and slow morning in the stand, and my stomach was talking. A warm meal, the couch, and my family were a mere 500 yards away. Book em Danno, we'll try it tonight. I packed it up, picked up a trail camera on the way in and I was headed to a warm grilled cheese sandwich.

I sat at the kitchen counter with my laptop and an empty plate. 'Holy cow Lori, come quick, look at this' Staring back at me from my from the laptop was the biggest buck I had ever seen on a camera of my own. His eyes looked through the camera into my soul and in the blink of an eye; I was obsessed. I immediately started plotting and dreaming about this deer. It consumed my thoughts and idle moments. The anticipation of an encounter with this deer was in full swing and I spent every free moment the in the woods.

I went the rest of that hunting season without laying eyes on the brute and eventually the eagerness faded. As I came across this photo in my archives, I was reminded of the anticipation I had for this deer. Then the conviction quickly settled in with the challenge of how I'm living life today. In Romans 8, Paul talks about the creation waiting in "eager expectation" (v19) for the children of God to be revealed. It's known that the world is broken (v22). You know it. I know it. All of creation knows it. Yet there is a day coming when Jesus will break this curse on the earth and all will be made new! (Revelation 21:4) Am I "waiting eagerly" for my "adoption to sonship" and the "redemption of (my) body (v23)? Or do I get more excited about a big buck deer? Be encouraged that hunting big deer is to be exciting and enjoyed; but it's not our ultimate goal!

So what happened with this antlered monster you ask? Legend has it that is was shot and wounded on opening morning on a neighboring property. Another neighbor who was out coyote hunting after deer season found him in their field about 100 yds off our property line. They brought the European mount over so I could put my hands on the rack and put my dreams of this 172" giant to rest. The hope of seeing this huge buck walk by is gone; but I have hope that Jesus is coming to make everything new. That's what I want to anticipate the most!

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Romans 8:24‭-‬25 NIV