Outdoor Truths

One of the more popular ways of hunting is called "spot and stalk". This type of hunting is done on the ground, moving quietly through the woods, looking for an unsuspecting deer. When a deer is spotted (hence the word spot), a hunter stalks (hence the word stalk) in order to get close enough to shoot the animal with his bow or gun. Sounds good doesn't it? It looks even better on the Outdoor Channel. But "Houston, we have a problem." My spot and stalk usually turns into spot and sulk. It goes something like this. I snap, crackle, and pop through the woods. The deer spot me, run away, and I sulk all the way back to the truck. Hey, I admit I'm no "great white hunter," but I figured I was as good as most of the guys and gals on T.V. Once again, I was wrong. Even though this type of hunting can be fun, most of the time it is the result of being bored in the tree stand and deciding that the area you are not in looks better than the one you are in. I find it that way in fishing also. Why is it when your fishing from the bank you always cast towards the middle and when you're fishing from a boat you always cast towards the bank? It seems we all think the grass is always greener on the other side.

Have you ever noticed how a lot of things look good on T.V.? Every woman is a beauty queen and every man looks like he just graduated from a modeling agency. Commercials lead us to believe that if we use their product all of our lives will change for the good. I have bought a lot of hunting and fishing gimmicks over the years only to find out they were not "as advertised." All of this is really a ploy to make us think the grass is greener anywhere, with anything, and with anyone, other than where I am, what I have, and who I'm with. In hunting and fishing I lose a little money. In other areas of my life I can lose much, much more. Somehow we think if we can change our environment we can also leave ourselves in the previous place. The truth is, while a change of our physical environment can be beneficial, it can never change the environment of the heart. Only God can do that. And he can do it right where you are right now!

Gary Miller