“When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him “my son.” “Here I am” he answered. Isaac said “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment-your quiver and bow-and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.”  Genesis 27: 1-3

As a young man growing up, my dad took me and my three brothers on annual deer hunting trips. They were exciting times for all of us, and in many ways were rites of passage from boyhood into adulthood. Each fall, excitement would build for this annual tradition.

During my teenage years, I sometimes questioned what the appeal was about hunting. I remember asking my dad “what is it about hunting that you enjoy so much?” His response: “I enjoy time in nature, listening to the birds singing, feeling the breeze blowing, and being in the woods.”

I didn’t completely comprehend my dad’s meaning until years later, as I grew into adulthood and my passion for hunting grew stronger. Etched in my memory is one particular crisp fall morning, as I sat in silence in the pre-dawn darkness. As I watched the sun rise above the pine trees and take the chill out of the air and experienced the woods “waking up,” I came to realize God’s grace surrounded me. It was in the rising of the sun, the sound of the birds singing, the flutter of the leaves falling, and the smell of the forest floor.

We don’t need to look for God. He finds us everywhere. His blessings are all around us, and His grace abounds in His creation, where He welcomes us as his guest.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for being with us wherever we are, and for welcoming, accepting and loving us as we are. Let us always appreciate the wonderful gifts you give us, and let us never take for granted your grace and goodness. In your name we pray. Amen.