Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35
“It was a long, shameful walk back to the hunting cabin. For well over an hour, I had sat in the deer stand, happily reading and enjoying the quiet morning. Then I felt the loose bullets rattle in my pocket. I turned and looked. Oh no. I had forgotten my rifle.
No choice now but to go back for it. The rest of the men in our extended family were tucked away in their own stands. They wouldn’t see me go back for my gun. But they would hear about it. Oh, would they. The cabin, teeming with our wives and children, would all too gladly report on my “hunt.” I could see pairs of eyes gawking through the window as I came up the dirt road. They gathered around and met me with barbs and laughter at the door.
Years later, I’m yet to live it down (and rightfully so). Now every fall we hear, “Remember the time Uncle David . . .” I’m a terribly amateur hunter. I easily smile and chuckle about once forgetting my rifle. For me, the real joy in that quiet deer stand is unhurried Bible meditation and prayer. Getting the big buck is a distant second.”
David Mathis in his 4 October 2023 blog post entitled “The Use and Abuse of Scripture: How Christian Preachers Wield the Word.”
I have never hunted deer before but this is a funny and insightful little story.
Only this year, on the property of my friend John Stanley in Wisconsin, did I get the chance to go up into a deer stand. It was not spacious but it was comfortable.
How does this connect to generosity?
Imagine the things you could do in a deer stand. You can pray and use it as a time of spiritual growth, or you can use it to focus on nothing or senseless things as well.
I learned a lot on this week vacation while hunting.
Through reflection on Scripture, life, work, and more, I discerned new things and feel excited to apply them. Sometimes we can only learn these lessons in solitary places.
Imagine that such places serve as fuel filling stations for generous living. I think so!