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Day 36: Don't Hunt Alone!


April 20, 2020

 It was a beautiful, crisp fall day in East Texas. My husband was doing what he loved best; trudging through the woods with his gun and his dog, Reba. Everyone else had headed back home but he wanted one more hour in the great outdoors. That morning would be long lost in his memory, mixed with many other similar days of hunting and hiking if not for one fateful step. As he made his way down the sloped side of a dry creek bed he heard a loud snap and fell forward. Pain like he’d never felt coursed through him as he struggled to understand what had just happened. It was not until he tried to stand back up that he realized what was wrong. Somehow his right foot was now facing backwards. The snap he heard was the sound of every bone in his lower leg breaking in an instant. This story would be painful enough for him to recall without what all came next. If he hadn’t been alone in the woods... if cell phones had been invented, this could have had a more mundane conclusion. (Help! Someone call 911!) But my husband has never been one to get the easy way out. Reba was the smartest dog we’ve ever had but she wasn’t Lassie. All she could offer was some protection and faithful companionship. What happened over the next several hours required grit, determination and incredible endurance. Crawling was not an option. He didn’t want poachers to mistake him for an animal and accidentally shoot him. So, with Reba running and waiting ahead of him, Clay used his gun as a crutch and limped, hobbled and hopped over two excruciatingly painful miles back to the cabin. Hours later he got to his car and drove himself (with his left foot) to a country store where he called me from a pay phone. The people at the store called an ambulance when they saw the condition he was in. It is a miracle the man is alive. The break and walking on his injured leg caused damage that required months of recovery. Because of this devastating injury he lost his jewelry business and we had to leave our home in Austin and come to live with his parents back in Cypress. Our life was turned upside down by one wrong step. I was grateful that Clay was ok but, “What now, God?” and “Why did this have to happen?” were definitely my big questions. God was in control and I’m glad we ended up back in our hometown. I can’t imagine all the time with family and friends we would have missed these last 30 years if we had kept living in Austin. Our entire family’s life story would be completely different. God knew what needed to happen for us to be blessed by being exactly where we are now. (And He must be sure because he’s brought us back more than once.) We couldn’t see it at the time but God had a plan. He has a plan for every day. We must only trust Him with our whole heart and give each day to Him. Stop struggling and accept this path He’s put us on. Stop fighting and forgive one another. Stop stressing and believe that our Heavenly Father knows what’s best for us. Trying to work our way through life without God is like going hunting alone. One wrong step and we are in trouble. As the saying goes: “Sometimes God’s blessings are not in what He gives but in what He takes away.” The Bible says in Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And these words in Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” And one of my favorites is Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” God is in control! Smile and be joyful!
Here's a great song to have in your head (again)  today: https://youtu.be/0YUGwUgBvTU






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