Volume 26, Issue 9
WisconsinChristianNews.com
Page 31
Oh, Of Little Faith
By Lynn Fredrick February 2026 I had an experi- ence this fall that made me seri- ously and repeat- edly ask for God’s forgive- ness. My faith
a pin head. With a sigh, I raised my gaze to pan the woods ahead. I gasped and called to Terry, “there he is, dead.” The 8 pointer was only 20 feet off the trail. There was virtually no blood when I field dressed the deer. Later that day, we backtracked the blood trail of the deer to find a lost pair of gloves. Now in good light we could see that the deer was bleeding much more than we could see in dim light the evening before. Upon processing the deer, I discovered the arrow had gone through the pelvis and exited low in the abdomen. The arrow had severed both main arteries going down both rear legs. God had answered my prayer for a mor- tal shot and I had doubted Him to the point of embarrassment. Have I asked for forgiveness? Many times. I know God has forgiven me but I
and trust in God went to zero. I know better. In the 33 years of following God out and away from my addiction, God and not one of His promises have ever failed me. This article begins with a hunting story, so if you are opposed to hunting the wild for food, you may not want to read it. This past October, I was in my bow hunting for deer, tent blind. My wife
with a great shot at the vitals. I had my bow at full draw when he stepped into the window, but now he was quartering away. I hadn’t noticed but the doe was moving away, as if to say, “sorry Bucky, not interested.” It was still a good shot for me, so I touched off the release trigger, at the same instant the doe jumped left and ran, in that same instant the buck jumped left. My arrow that was aimed and intended for the vitals of heart and lung hit the deer in the hind quarter. As I watched the buck run 100 yards across the field, the lighted arrow nock disappeared with him into the woods. I was so upset with my shot, I lost control and swore a blue streak. I set my bow down, took off my release and threw it, spewing words of anger and comments that I have no business hunting with a bow and arrow. I embarrassed myself with my reaction. The odds of finding a butt-shot deer are not good, if any. After I col- lected myself, we set out to see if we could follow him. Half way across the field we found some blood, we started marking the trail with white Kleenex, we had a direction line going and followed it to the woods’ edge. Several yards into the woods, we saw more blood as the deer stopped and stood in one place. It was hard to find the specks of blood that would lead us to the next place the buck would stop. On the way, we found ½ of my broken arrow shaft. It was obvious that he was watching us and when we would get closer, he would walk farther away. It was starting to get to dark to follow and the deer was heading for the neighbor’s line fence. We had followed him about 50 yards into the woods and made the decision that our only hope of finding the deer was to leave him alone and come back in the morning. We got up at good light and got ready to go. Terry was in track mode and was optimistic. I, being intensely hard on myself, made the comment that finding this deer, with that poor of a shot, was like 1 in 1000. We went back to where we stopped and found traces of blood for about 40 yards and a small pool of blood where
Terry was seated by my side. She has hunted in rifle season, but during bow season, I like that she just wants sit with me. Without a doubt, another set of eyes really come in handy for sighting ap- proaching deer and are extremely helpful if you wound one and have to track it. We try to manage our own deer herd on our 156- acre property. Wild game, fish we catch and the chickens we raise provide our meat and a good portion of our greens, vegetables, mushrooms and berries all come from the wild also. We don’t have a high doe (female) population, so, we rarely harvest a doe. This year was a definite no for harvesting a doe. We had several local bucks and quite a few around the area. We know that the bucks all travel quite a distance during mating season, so we felt very comfortable to harvest a buck. With a compound bow and arrow, my shooting distance is re- stricted to a maximum of 30 yards. I am usually very accurate in- side that distance, so I just wait until I get a chance at my chosen distance. Many times, the buck is outside that parameter, some- times several yards, sometimes the other side of the field. My 58 years of hunting experience has taught me to be patient. Wait for the best shot. One day, we had been waiting for some time and had seen some does and a yearling fawn, so close to the blind you could hear her breath. That is always precious. There was only about 30 to 45 minutes of good hunting light left when I saw a deer enter the field about 200 yards away. The doe and fawn were eating clover pretty close to our blind. I put the binoculars on the approaching deer and whispered to Terry, “it’s a buck.” He was walking directly to- ward us. The rut season (mating) was on, so I suspect his interest was the doe. I took my bow out of its hanger and nocked an arrow. I said a prayer. “God give me a fatal shot.” He came well inside the parameter but the first shooting window was a poor shot, (so was the second), but I figured the next window would be broadside
am still hard on myself as to my reaction and extreme doubt. I think I understand the Apostle, Thomas, a little better now. Recorded at John 20:25, Thomas states that unless he can touch the wounds on Jesus’ hands and side, he says in response to the proclamation that Jesus is risen from the dead, “I will not believe it.” In the original language that follows at verse 27, Jesus tells Thomas to stop doubting. This is a strong word for doubt. It is a “no faith” belief. It is like saying “I am not going to believe.” I just did the same thing. Thomas ended up with a forever nick name, “Doubting Thomas.” I will not refer to him by that name, other than to say, I have been on the same level of doubt as Thomas. Upon researching the meaning of faith, in the Greek language, it is defined as: “belief, a firm persuasion, assurance, or a firm con- viction.” It was time for me to have a lesson in prayer and faith. At Matthew 7:7-11, I learn we are to ask God and expect what we ask for. If a son asks for bread, will his father give him a stone? If he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake? If we as earthy, flawed fathers, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? I should not have doubted my prayer request. God had an- swered my prayer for a mortal shot; it was my limited human per- ception and lack of faith that caused me to doubt. I couldn’t see how my shot could be mortal. But upon examination during the processing, the deer had to jump left, butt lowered and front feet off the ground for the arrow to enter and exit the pelvis at exactly the correct angle to sever both major arteries to the rear legs. Amazing. But please do not practice this shot! I believe it also needed God’s intervention to be mortal. I believe I and all of us should trust God to answer our prayer requests. I don’t have all the answers as to God’s timing but I be- lieve doubt comes from our limited perception. I prayed, recently for the recovery of a personal friend and Godly man, only several years older than me. He passed away. My perspective asks why? God’s perspective. Isaiah 57: 1, “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in their heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace.” Our responsibility is to pray and let God answer from His eternal perspective and not to doubt to but trust. Lynn Fredrick is the author of “Stand Firm,” a recovery program to help transform your life by using the divine power of God’s Word. LynnFredrick.com
the deer laid down as soon as we stopped following him. We followed the same trail going toward the neighbors, looking for any trace of blood...none. We followed down two other trails and could find no blood. My obvious conclusion was that he quit bleeding and I had just wounded a deer so it could suffer. Terry, still the best tracking partner I have ever had, made the suggestion that we go back to where he laid down, maybe he went a different direction. I said, “well maybe.” We went back and I knelt down next to the small pool of blood. I looked at the ground about two feet in a different direction from the trail we had followed and I saw a speck of blood about the size of
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