ALL IN

We have discovered that several of the men in our group are avid duck hunters. During our discussion last night concerning surrendering to God and being "all in", one of our group members made a wonderful analogy; surrendering to God is like duck hunting!   A duck hunter prepares for his adventure; wakes before dawn, puts on waterproof waders, goes out to the duck blind, loads his guns, uses a duck call to entice the birds; and then he waits, the hunter knows he has done everything in his power to have a successful hunt, now he must wait and trust that the birds will come and his shot will find its target. The hunter may a have a wonderful hunt and he may bag many ducks; the hunter also knows that he may sit for many hours and go home empty handed. If a hunter is focused on what he thinks he wants (only shooting a duck) and does not surrender to the process, he will be miserable if the hunt is not "successful". According to the men in our group, ultimately, it doesn't matter whether or not the hunter shoots a duck (although that is always great!); just the experience of sitting in God's creation and enjoying the beautiful sunrise, with a friend or family member, is amazing. When the hunter surrenders his agenda (shooting a duck), the hunter is rewarded with the pure joy of the experience; spending time with a beloved son or uncle. Surrendering to God and being "all in" means letting go and trusting that God desires only the very best for each of us.  You may not receive what it is that you think you desire (shooting a duck), but the rewards can be even greater (the beauty of the sunrise and time with your family).