Outdoor Truths – September 20, 2023
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By Gary Miller
Fall is a favorite season for most
The seasons are changing. The mornings and evenings are cooler, the days are getting shorter, and the days of harvesting are coming to an end. Fall is most people’s favorite time of year. I’m not sure if it’s because of its comfort and colors, or because it’s simply a reprieve from the previous months of sweltering heat. For hunters, of course, it’s our favorite time because our seasons begin to open in earnest. The days of practicing, waiting, and dreaming will turn into mornings of crisp expectations. And then it won’t be too long until the cycle will repeat itself. It has for centuries, with only small changes to climate and seasonal temperatures that are unusual to a particular time of year. Cycles make things predictable. And each cycle has its own signs that let us know what season is ahead. These indicators have been accurate as long as man has been around. They are not only a compass but early-warning-signs that tell us to make sure we’re ready for whatever it is that is coming up next. For instance, right now the signs are telling me to make sure I have enough firewood for the winter. They tell me to get ready.
Followers of Christ believe that creation is the first language God spoke. The Apostle Paul said that in it we can see God’s invisible qualities, divine nature, and eternal power. It is His compass and His early-warning system. It not only lets us know about earthly things, but it lets us know about heavenly things as well. And seasons are a clue that hits us in the face several times a year. I think its main alert is to let us know that one day, even our time on this earth as we know it, will be over. We will transition to a new heaven and a new earth. Some even now say, we are in the last days. They may be right. But if I am to be honest, I have heard that since I was a child. And yet, here we still are. Waiting. Watching. Wondering. So, what do we do when we can know or understand the signs? We listen to the words of someone we know and someone we can trust. Because words are better than signs. For me, I quit looking for the signs. I quit being concerned whatsoever about how soon our transition is. I just remember the promise of Jesus – the one in whom I trust. And he simply said. “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14 ESV) And with that promise, I can rest knowing that whenever it is, I am ready.
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■ Gary has written the Outdoor Truths article for 20 years. He has also written four books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations.
