 HeartShots “Outfitting the Heart of the Hunter” Going Against the Flow About a month ago, I made the annual pilgrimage to fight the crowds in search of the perfect Christmas gifts for my wife. It was the Saturday before Christmas and the traffic in town was absolutely ridiculous. While barely moving in four lanes of bumper to bumper traffic, one of my kids shouted, “There’s a deer!” Because we were on the busiest road in a city of 90,000, I assumed they must have seen someone’s yard ornament or something. Then I glanced out my own window and saw a tall-tined, beauty of a buck standing at the edge of the road, with the obvious intention of wading through the four lanes of slow moving traffic to get to the other side. It was mid-Decemeber and the 2nd rut was no doubt in full swing as this buck was willing to continue his pursuit of an eligible doe despite a multitude of barriers stacked against him. The more I thought about it, the prouder I became for this monarch within the city limits. He was willing to go against the traffic on the city’s busiest road to pursue a little lovin’. What a stud!  I’m reminded of the passage in Romans 12 that says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
We are called to go against the flow…the traffic…of what this world holds as a standard for right-living. And much like trying to swim back upstream – it won’t be easy. The fact is, it’s never easy to go against what the majority seems to be doing. It takes a unique transformation within us through a renewal of our minds…a job that only God can perform. God has so much more in store for us than the “American Dream” that everyone seems to be chasing after. God is looking for men and women that are willing to go against the flow in an effort to pursue Him. Visit with Brodie Swisher at www.BroOutdoors.com
0 Comments
 Heart Shots "Outfitting the heart of the hunter" Trust Your GPS After a long day of chasing elk in the high-country of Colorado, it was time to make the long hike back to the truck. The elk proved victorious in our second day of doing battle on the mountain. Tired and hungry, my hunting buddies and I started the 3-mile trek back to the trailhead. Just a short way through the timber, I pulled my GPS out to check our status and make sure we were on course. Much to my surprise we were heading in the complete opposite direction of what the GPS reported we should be going. I was a bit disgusted at this new knowledge, and swore that the batteries in the GPS must be going bad. Upon closer inspection I realized that the batteries were fresh, yet it certainly appeared it was leading us the wrong way. One of my buddies said, “You gotta trust your GPS.” Despite our gut feeling of being headed the wrong way, we would trust our guide. We pressed on. Swallowed by darkness and miles from the truck, everything was riding on the accuracy of that GPS unit. We stumbled through the darkness and deadfalls until we finally made our way out. Sure enough…there was the truck! Years have passed since that humbling lesson in wilderness navigation, and to this day, despite what may seem to be right in my mind, I’ve continue to trust my GPS for direction and to lead me down the right path.  As life happens all around us, we often find ourselves in similar situations of decision-making with family, friends, and God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Countless are the times when I’ve set off in a direction in life that seemed right to me at the time, however later learned that I was going in the wrong direction. If you’ll allow Him, God will be your GPS for life. You think you got things figured out? You better check and see how it lines up with what God’s got in store for you. Feel like you’re being swallowed up in darkness, with no direction in life? Let God lead you. He will reveal where you are, where you should be headed, as well as direction on how to get there. Visit with Brodie Swisher at www.BroOutdoors.com www.RealityBowhunting.com  HeartShots “Outfitting the Heart of the Hunter”
Too Focused I love hunting the rut! During the rut, an encounter with a big buck can happen at any time of day. It is amazing to me how, as deer hunters, we spend countless hours throughout the year planning, preparing, and simply daydreaming about hunting the rut. When in reality, the rut is such a brief window of opportunity in the overall season. With great expectation we long for those precious hours in the stand when big bucks step out of their comfort zones in search of the ladies. Big bucks die every season in these sacred few days because they are focused on one thing…and only one thing. On a recent November deer hunt, I encountered a buck that was a little “too focused.” I first saw him working through the timber in search of a doe. Like a hound-dog on a hot track, his nose never left the ground. Two different times his meanderings led him within close range of potentially receptive does that simply stood there, motionless. He never saw them because he never looked up. The buck finally made his way to within bow-range of my treestand. With my voice I bleated to stop the deer for the shot...but he simply kept strollin’. I grunted louder at the deer…nothing! He kept on cruisin’ by. Finally, before the deer slipped past me, I yelled at the buck, “Hey!” And he stopped …broadside! When I sat back down in my stand to let my body catch up to my pounding heart, I couldn’t help but think, “What a stupid deer!” However, this deer was simply doing what the whitetail deer have been doing since God placed them on this earth. For a fleeting few moments each season, bucks will stroll the woods with no regard to anything other than breeding a doe. They become so focused on this single act that it often results in their death by a hunter…and I love it! How similar this scenario is to the fella in the passage from Proverbs chapter 7 in the Bible. Have you ever read it? It talks about the ol’ boy that was chasing after a promiscuous woman. She puts on a very attractive plea for him to go back to her house and fulfill each others’ sexual desires. Verse 21 -23 says, “…so she seduced and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.” In the previous chapter (6:25-27) we read, “Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life. Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?” You’ve heard it said before, “If you play with fire…you’re gonna get burnt!” And so it goes with playing the game of messing with another woman. You will always get burnt. An exciting encounter with the opposite sex could easily entice any of us. When we let our guard down, we can be blindsided by the lure of an attractive “doe.” But the Bible is clear. It will cost you your life. It’s a marriage killer….a family killer…and as it says in verse 26, it will not go unpunished. Have you suffered from being too focused lately? Are the important things of life becoming a blur as you focus more and more on a path that’s leading you to destruction? Being over-focused in work, hobbies, or someone else’s spouse, can cost you everything. I encourage you to look up…as well as to look out for those things that would cause you to stray off course. And look to God as your only source of strength when the temptations arise that would cause us to get a little too focused. Visit with Brodie Swisher at www.BroOutdoors.com www.RealityBowhunting.com |
Brodie SwisherBrodie Swisher is a World Champion game caller, accomplished speaker, a notable writer, a skilled hunter, and all around down to earth guy! His travels take him across the country as a well known public speaker in the arena of outdoor events such as wildgame dinners, banquests, archery classes, and filming. Above all Brodie Swisher loves Jesus and he can't wait to share his passion for Christ with those he meets. Archives
September 2013
Categories |
RSS Feed
