Thanksgiving From A Deer Stand

Psalm 42:1 tells us, “As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” I write these thoughts from a deer stand as I watch the beginning of another beautiful East Texas day. Some folks across the country think that East Texans don’t appreciate nature because we hunt, fish, and cut trees, but for most of us, nothing could be further from the truth.

I am thankful for the natural beauty we are surrounded by every day. Psalm 8:8-9 says, “The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.” Of course, in a perfect world I could do without so many wild pigs. Oh, and scorpions— and mosquitoes. How can I ever forget waterbugs? My wife said tearfully in her first encounter indoors with a waterbug, “They said everything is bigger in Texas, but that is ridiculous!” Well, you get the picture.

When I first moved to Jefferson over twelve years ago, I struggled with thankfulness. I knew very few people, and I often longed for my old home. My problem was that I tended to only look at the bad stuff. Do you ever struggle with the place God has you? He knows best what you and I need; we just need to trust Him.

We may not have the fantastic fall foliage of areas north and east of us, but we have a lot of beautiful sights here in Marion County. It is worthy of a prayer of thanksgiving lifted from even a hunting stand on a lovely fall weekend. Psalm 116:12 says, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?”

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