Stuck in a Rut

HeartShots  “Outfitting the Heart of the Hunter”

Stuck In a Rut

Have you ever had one of those hunts where you found yourself wishing you’d never crawled out of the comforts of your bed on that particular morning?  I’ll never forget an early season elk hunt from several years ago when, despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t get things rollin’.  The trouble started as we made our way up a winding mountain road.  Rain had been falling all night making the dirt road into somewhat of a controlled mudslide.    I was relieved as we reached the end of the road, just a bit over the 12,000 feet mark.  The driver (who will remain anonymous) killed the headlights for the last few hundred yards of the drive in an effort not to spook any elk that might have already made their way back up into the meadow below us.  Without the headlights, our driver failed to see exactly where he needed to be…as well as what ruts to avoid.  Deciding where to park came easy when our truck slid into an extremely deep rut.  We had arrived…and we were officially stuck. 

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So as darkness began to change to the grey skies of morning, we contemplated our situation.  While we should have been in hot pursuit of bugling bulls, we were consumed by how we were going to get the truck back on solid ground.  There was a shift in focus.  Instead of enjoying good times in the backcountry…we were covered in mud…doing our best not to say ugly things…trying to dig out of a rut.  It was one of those mornings when I found myself wishing I’d never crawled out of bed.  

 
How many times does a similar scenario play out in daily life?  Have you been there?  When despite your best efforts to enjoy good times and live life to the fullest, you seem to be stuck in a rut.  A feeling of hopelessness and depression can easily set in when we lose focus on what lies ahead and become consumed with the current mess we find ourselves in.  The fact is we’ll all face days in which we find ourselves stuck in a rut.  It’s inevitable as we make our way through the journey of life.  The good news is that God is there to lift us up from our troubles.  He’s ready and able to deliver us.  He’s just waiting for us to look up from our crisis, and once again focus on Him.

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”  Psalm  40:2

www.BroOutdoors.com

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