Hunting Season Tips

For a few of the families we know, it's either hunting season already or it's gonna be hunting season soon.  Most of the mamas are excited to restock the freezers but grimly bracing ourselves to fly solo in some way or other.

In the past, hunting season has brought its own set of challenges for us.  Often, Daddy is away for days at a time, which means Mama is ON, always on.  This often translates to VERY tired.  Sometimes, the Blossoms seem more emotional when he's not around.  Sometimes I have a harder time falling asleep.  Sometimes weird things happen when he's away. So very tiring for me, but just me?

Yes, hunting is his hobby, but it's also physically taxing on the Rugged Mountain Man ~ early mornings, late nights, miles and miles of walking, carrying heavy gear and hopefully, dragging a carcass.  Plus, juggling work and home duties.  Throw in sleeping away from home with snoring relatives nearby and it's so very tiring for him too.

Instead of only focusing on the harder parts of hunting season for me, I asked myself,

"What can I do to make hunting season easier 

on the Rugged Mountain Man?"

I sat in my chair, penning those words and waiting.  It shifted my focus away from me.  This went straight to my heart and helped me to think of ways to serve my husband. 

I needed this practical application for preferring him above me. Instead of thinking all the inconveniences and the things I dislike about hunting season,

I decided to tidy up the basement.  It is NOT my favorite daunting project, but it's the first place he sees when he comes in from hunting around here.  I thought it would be nice for him to have a peaceful place to sit and take off his gear.  It's warm and cozy by the wood stove and it is certainly much more welcoming now that it doesn't look like you've stumbled upon someone's jumbled up mess of a storage unit... even though the basement IS our storage unit.

There's more that I hope to do.  I hope to make sure he's well stocked with good snacks.  From what the girls tell me, hunters get ravenous out there.

I'd like to keep an eye on the clock for better bed times.  Though I'm usually the one who is early to bed, I normally like to seize the time to chat with his undivided attention. Thinking more of him than me, I think I'd do well to quiet down earlier. 

The Blossoms and I will need to pitch in to take a few little things off his plate - like taking out the garbage and bringing in wood. 

Most importantly, I need to be praying for my husband.  I pray for him to be healthy.  I pray for him to hunt safely.  I pray for God's provision.  I pray for things to go well. 

It's impossible for me to pray fervently for him and still have a rotten attitude about how hunting season affects me. 

Friends, we can't control life, its situations, and its seasons, 

but we can choose our attitude.  

Dominique

If you'd like to read more, check out this post "When is the last time...?"  In it I ask myself, "When's the last time you did something for your husband?"  There's more good food for thought under the Marriage label.