Aubrey’s First Deer and My Life Lesson

I took Aubrey hunting on Saturday. Wyatt went the week before, and I have even been so brave as to take them both at the same time. Last year Wyatt and I shot two does in one evening and he learned how to track a wounded deer, load it, and properly care for it.  Saturday, Aubrey and I were blessed to kill a big 10 point buck (picture included). I consider both of these experiences out of the ordinary, not because taking them hunting is out of the ordinary, but because seeing deer when I take them hunting is out of the ordinary.

My kids are not great hunters. They like the idea of hunting with daddy, but they do not like to be still and quiet, and they are not very keen on being in the woods after dark (we take multiple flashlights for a sense of security). When the kids talk about hunting, they usually tell people about all of the snacks they ate or about the chance to play a game on daddy’s phone. I do not expect to see deer, but that’s OK. I don’t take my kids hunting to see deer, I take them hunting to spend time with them. I get to be alone with them for the drive to our hunting property and back home, in addition to the time we spend in a deer stand. Even though they are getting older, when they get cold, they still cuddle with daddy and I’m transported to something close to heaven.

Hunting with kids is all about expectation. If I expect to see deer, I’m probably going to to be frustrated. If, on the other hand, I expect to spend time with my kids without distractions and invest in their lives, I am sure to have a successful hunt. Life is often about appropriate expectations. I’m happier in my marriage when I expect my wife to be human. My job is more fulfilling when my expectations line up with reality. My faith is stronger when my expectations of God and life are rooted in the Bible (Life is hard, sin has consequences, God forgives sin, God doesn’t leave me).

On Sunday, Aubrey told her whole LifeGroup that we went hunting, but they had no idea that we killed a deer. Her LifeGroup leader laughed when he asked how hunting with Aubrey was and was shocked to hear that I had killed a big buck. Aubrey didn’t tell the whole story, but apparently she told the part that mattered most to her, she went hunting with her daddy. Her expectations were met, she got what she wanted.

All of that made me think about what it is that I am expecting from my Father? Do I want him or do I want what he can give me. God, help us all to want to sit with you more than to receive from you.