The Tradition Continues 8/28/2016

Good Morning,

My cup of Door County Cherry Crème Coffee is just what I needed this morning. Our Springer Spaniel Gibbs was a little lazy today and did not wake me up before dawn. I just caught the last of the sunrise, but that extra sleep felt pretty good also. I don't know where you are this morning, but It would be nice to share a cup of coffee and I would be happy to make breakfast. We could have a really big crowd here. I wonder what my neighbors would think? They could join us. But not too many people are up this early. So it might be just a few of us.

Next weekend our hunting season in Wisconsin begins once again. It will be time to pursue and hopefully bag some geese. Several of my younger partners have been scouting for flocks that have patterned themselves into fields which we have permission to hunt in. So now it begins. A license must be purchased, gear needs to be accounted for and ready for next Saturday morning. The excitement will brew all week and work will just be something to do until the crack of dawn on the weekend. Then the pick up trucks will roll, loaded with dogs, decoys, guns, men and women dressed in camo clothing, donuts, coffee and good intentions will gather in a field that has been dreamed about since last January.

Spouses will only laugh as they basically watch adults gather their toys to go out and play nice. At least that is how Rene looks at it. But the annual tradition will begin. Before the hunt begins each one of us with gather with our hats off and we will pray for safety and if my friend Jim prays he will go greedy and pray for a huge bounty for us. I think we all secretly pray that way. But those family members that we left snuggled in their beds, the ones who laugh and tolerate our pursuit of wild game are prayed for. Not many of them even know that early in the morning they are prayed for. Now that's part of the tradition that needs to stay.

We all have traditions that we enjoy. For some it is a Sunday dinner table that is filled with family and friends. For some it is the annual picnic or Christmas shopping trip. Does it begin with prayer? Are those who aren't there prayed for?

Now we can't count on bagging geese and from time to time we have been shut out. But we can count on a few guys gathering, sharing goodies that we don't need, delivering a little smack talk, and we can count on those hats coming off and for a time it will be very quiet except for the voice of prayer.

Matthew 14:22-23New International Version (NIV)
²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,

Jesus spent time in prayer and in this passage we have no idea what He was praying about, but how wonderful it would have been to be on that mountainside hearing His voice in prayer. That's how I feel, when I am in the dark and that prayer is lifted up before our hunt and I know that God has joined us in that field or marsh because He keeps His promises.

Matthew 18:20New International Version (NIV)
²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

How's that working for you?

God bless,

Marty