OUTDOOR TRUTHS: Instead of worry

By Editor | May 13, 2026 |

About a month ago, I hunted this same area. I was able to take a big gobbler that morning. I had not been back since. So, I knew, after a month, I could go back and see if I could get another one of those toms to come to my call. It was a beautiful, crisp, and quiet morning. My setup turned out to be about textbook. Before I made my first call, a tom belted out a loud gobble over the small hill, about 150 yards away, and directly in front of my location. Just after that another tom began to belt his opening alarm, behind me, about 500 yards away. He started gobbling almost non-stop. I was liking what I was hearing, and also liking my morning setup. But it got better. As day was breaking two more toms joined in the chorus. One just to the left of the one directly in front of me, and one to the right. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Three competing in front of me and one behind me. I’m thinking, “Let the competition begin.” That was what I was thinking, but that was not what I was feeling. I was feeling nothing. I mean my heart didn’t race, I didn’t imagine a trophy camera shot, nor did I fret about what bad scenario could happen. I just stayed calm, enjoyed the welcomed noise, and waited to see what might happen. Again, I did so without ever having the least amount of anxiety. Why? Because I had been here before. I knew that I had positioned myself as good as I could and there was no other move to make. I didn’t overcall. I didn’t sneeze or make any alarming noise. I did all I could do. Everything that would follow was out of my hands. So, why worry. Ah yes. Worry.
This is actually the posture I should be making in the more serious areas of my life. The posture that comes from being right in the middle of a situation that could turn out bad or good and yet remaining calm because I have done all that I can do. The rest is out of my hands. But the real, unexplainable calm, comes from knowing whose hands my circumstances are in. God’s. Again, this is the posture God’s wants us to have instead of worry. Jesus put it this way. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” And then He added. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. His words to us are basically this. Just get in the right set up (seek first the Kingdom of God) and I (God) will handle everything else, and every possible scenario, in every possible situation or circumstance, that might come about in your life. We have one thing to do. He has the rest. So, don’t worry.
(This Tuesday morning at 6:30 eastern time, I’ll talk about the big Idea from my article. Get the Zoom link on my website.)
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■ Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written five 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. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org.

Posted in Opinion