Outdoor Truths
Hunting and Fishing for Answers
by
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Leaky Blinds My ground blind leaks. Yours does too. Yeah, I know you have the top-of-the-line, largest, most cushy, made-of-the-best-waterproof-material-blind money can buy. I’m sure it’s nice. But it leaks. It may not leak as much as mine. It may not leak in the same places as mine. But it leaks. Those leaks may not show up until the hardest rain, but, you know, it leaks. I’m sorry. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You can still claim superiority in ground blind wars. But it leaks. And sometimes those leaks are all you can think about. I sat in the rain, bored from seeing no deer, and from having no cell signal in order to keep my mind occupied. So, my leaks became my obsession. What I discovered was there is one thing that causes every blind to leak. It’s not faulty material or holey seams. It’s not the lack of sealant. It’s windows. Yes, windows – those things we actually can’t do without if we want to hunt. It’s the difference between a tent and a hunting blind. It’s those things which are necessary if we are going to accomplish what we go to accomplish. So, dealing with leaks are just something we have to endure if we are going to get those opportunities. And it’s odd that as I write, I feel like I’m talking about something else. I get a punch in the side telling me, “Gary, you really can’t reach those people I need you to come in contact with, if you’re in a tent and not a blind.” I get another punch that tells me not to think my sins are any better than the sins of the worst individual. A leak is a leak. A sin is a sin. I get yet another jab that reminds me to not be so concerned about getting a little world on me – that greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world. And if that that’s not enough jabs and pokes, one last somewhat audible admonition tells me, “Gary, have you noticed this whole conversation has been about you and your blind, and your obsession with it? Doesn’t that sound just a tad bit selfish? I don’t think this is included in the ‘Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself’ lesson I gave.” So, I regroup, and rearrange my seat so my thoughts are on more important things and so my view is of what’s outside, where I’m supposed to be looking anyway.
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About the Book
Gary Miller shares more heralded articles that have appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the nation in this fourth volume of Outdoor Truths. Each entry is brief and stands alone from the other articles. It is the perfect deer-stand or coffee table book that can be enjoyed at different times. While some people may think of these articles as devotionals for hunters and fishers, the author has never viewed them that way. The reason is because he’s never envisioned his audience as only faithful Christians but instead as people who may be unsure about Christianity or the church. The only thing he’s always been sure about his readers is that by and large, hunters and fishers are not atheists. They see the handiwork of someone bigger whenever they spend time in the woods or on the water. These articles will help you navigate what you already know. If you love the outdoors, aren’t sure about faith, but believe in God—or if you’re a dedicated Christian—then you’ll treasure these writings.
About the Author
Gary Miller has written a weekly column for newspapers and regional magazines across much of the country for twenty years. His brief stories about hunting, fishing, the outdoors, and faith have resonated with readers, both young and old. His unique way of inserting faith and simple goodness into his articles has kept readers coming back year after year.