The camo outfit is folded up high in the corner of the closet.
"You can't wear those outside, or they will smell!" "Don't do farm chores in that jacket!" "You have to use special detergent for that stuff."
A hunter loves his camo outfit. It becomes an extension of him- literally- you can smell it. The dirtier the better. The more it can collect of the outside world, the better it becomes at shielding its wearer from being noticed. It is cleaner the more of the earth it is washed in- no Tide pods required.
The Sun has not yet awakened the trees. Dew has not yet emerged from its nightly slumber. The wind is even taking a break. It is an hour of morning in which the Earth is able to take a moment to its self. Yet, here enters the hunter, deciding this is the most perfect hour to plunge his boots straight into fresh, forest soil.
The camo outfit is pulled down in hopes of covering up the scent of human nature. With all the exposure the camo jacket carries, it is still somehow cleaner than the man wearing it. His invisibility cloak is donned, and he grabs his gun off the rack. Even that guy has to hide himself in a camouflaged wrap just in case he has something to hide, too.
No coffee yet today- just another thing the perfect buck will inevitably smell. The smell of the morning is enough to awaken even the most caffeine-deprived soul. A few hundred yards to go until absolute silence and oneness with the Earth will be the only way to carry out a successful hunt.
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” [Gen 1:26–28].
That dominion becomes a blessing and a curse in this moment. (Well, it is always a blessing as coming from God, but moreso becomes a misunderstanding due to our human nature.) You thought you wore the perfect blend of disguise into the woods this morning, yet tracks lead you to believe you have driven off the most perfect herd of the season. No, your wife didn't use Downy on your camo t-shirt. You've worn the underwear that you left hanging in the barn for 3 weeks to create the most perfect cover up. The gun is clean- the bullets are loaded. You did everything right, but still your dominion over the living creatures of the earth has caused them to fear you as well as submit to you.
A deer has a purity that we do not have and can never have. A lone deer has a circumference of a quarter mile in which it can detect any interference in terms of scent. Everything in this circle is normally there-- a part of his everyday life. The fellow birds chirping, the peace of trees growing, the fields with their critters running free all exist in this plane with the deer. Yet the slightest step into the circle, and the deer is alerted.
The deer can sense the flaws in you that you have not yet discovered. The deer has an area of purity that will shine a spotlight onto what you think are the smallest of your weaknesses. You're standing alone in the perfection of God's creations, and with every track you find, you realize there is a lot of work you need to do on yourself before you should be stepping out here.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17
Most of us go through life thinking that we are doing alright, and that might be one of the greatest mistakes we can make. It may take weeks for us to realize we are chasing the deer away, and sadly for some of us it may take a lifetime. Once you realize your flaws, you cannot unsee them. You cannot simply ignore what you need to fix. You would not stand in the middle of the woods and shoot into the oblivion hoping for the best while knowing in the back of your mind the deer are running away because you stepped in dog poop on the way out here. No, you would go back in and fix the problem and try again tomorrow morning. So then why do we continue on the path on life without going inside and talking to God about what we should fix next?
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:17-24
Oftentimes, things are not going right, and we continue to stand in the woods and hope for the best. Before you know it, life is flying by and still the problems of yesterday are not gone. Many of us become saturated with what we think is the purity of the outdoors, but somewhere along the line, that purity is lost and blurred and confused in a bustling world.
There is an answer. There has always been an answer, and there will always be an answer. Thankfully, that answer is implanted in our hearts and in our souls.
No matter how much camo we put on, we cannot hide from our Creator.
No matter how hard we try to be one with the natural world, we will always have something that the deer will be able to detect. How can we get that acute awareness of a strong stag in the woods? How can we gain the sight of a strong doe guiding her family along?
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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." Romans 12:1-2
Listen like they do. Listen to the Truth. Listen to the Word. With open hearts and open minds, the Truth is always there ready to be heard. A deer cannot ignore the signs, or else they would be a target. We are not targets. We are children of God and must always be on alert for His mission for our lives.
From the moment you were conceived, you knew the truth. Do not lose sight of it. Do not let anyone take it from you. Strive to be the deer in the woods that outruns the Devil. Beware of the dangers of the world. But most importantly, go back inside, clean yourself up, and ask Him to lead you to that perfect deer.
