Debi Pearl wrote a piece about men's obsessions. http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/general-view/archive/2010/december/02/obsessions/ It was really good and so very true. Most of the article just made me laugh…I am so there! I thought about how this related to me. I have been married for nearly ten years and we have three children. Our son is 8 and our girls are 4 and 3. My husband is 100% “Mr. Command Man” and as ex-Special Forces and current Federal Agent, he is nearly all drive and very little compassion for weakness. His determination amazes me! The man is 5’6”, 115 lbs and I have yet to meet anyone who can keep up with him! Combine that with his unwavering convictions and I have come to realize that our country could use more men like him. It wasn’t always this way. My husband’s obsession is hunting and everything that goes with it. From scouting and tracking to loading his own ammunition with exact precision. He hunts every know species that he is allowed to. There is no such thing as the “off season”. I won’t begin to describe to you some of the problems we have had, you can imagine. I tried all the “common approaches”. Somewhere along the road God convinced me to build my marriage His way. He introduced me to an older woman who mentored me in submitting to my husband. A precious friend gave me a copy of “Created to be His Help Meet”. The Lord taught me to smile, listen, learn, and look for the good. His solution for my husband’s obsession? Put your 5 week old in a back pack and go with him! No, I can’t say that I liked freezing, walking myself to exhaustion, or sitting perfectly still for hours only to come home to cleaning dead animals and then start on MY chores. I thought about the alternatives though. Now I can’t imagine life any differently. Funny how God changes your heart! What do I get out of it? I would sit here way to long listing all the benefits but to start, I have gained a husband who desires his family near him as much as possible. Who brags to his buddies that his wife can “process a big game animal in 2 hours and out shoot you any day of the week”. Who comes home and treats me like his best friend, telling me all of his news and plans. Our children learn priceless lessons in the field, love the outdoors, and think their dad is “the best daddy in the whole world”. When I don’t have a tag to fill I get to practice my own hobby, photography.
I believe God loves to fill our cup to overflowing. It has been my experience that he asks us to step outside our comfort zone so that we are put in a position to trust and obey. On a daily basis I am challenged to my core but I can honestly say that I have never been more thankful. So where were we on Christmas day while everyone else was drinking wassail and opening presents? Bundled up in a our boat with our children, our dogs, and our shotguns…duck hunting! What an adventure!
