Rabbits and Rock Piles

I was raised for several years in Central Kentucky.  My dad was an experienced hunter and loved nothing more than hearing our pack of beagles chase a cottontail throughout sage and briar patches, through woods and fields, across the Kentucky hills.  Those hills were decorated with stone walls.  In times past, with all the stoney hillsides, stones were easier and cheaper than wood for fences.  Every now and then in our hunting we would come across substantial piles of discarded rock.  And rabbits had an affinity for those safe havens when chased by barking beagles.

One special memory has me hunting with my dad, chasing rabbits and shooting them for sport and for food.  This one particular day, old Lucy and Princess had chased a wise old rabbit around the area until the dogs followed him to a big rock pile.  Dad knew the rabbit was holed up there and the dogs knew the rabbit was there.  I was instructed to take a stand uphill from the large pile of rocks and be ready to take a shot.  Dad told me the rabbit always runs uphill when he comes out of a pile.  I stood back a ways from the action where Dad was removing one large rock at a time.  He got me and the dogs all excited by pointing out that he could see the rabbit close at hand.  I edged closer and closer to the pile hoping to get in on the action until finally, the rabbit came bounding out of the rocks and sure enough, he ran straight up the hill to find safety.  

Unfortunately for me and to my chagrin, I had put myself in a great spot to see the rabbit come out of the rocks, but a terrible position to get a shot off.  The rabbit ran up and over the hill and I stood dejected and a little embarrassed.  I had missed the best part of the chase!  The whole point was to bag a rabbit but I missed my chance!  

This experience was one I obviously will never forget.  It has been sixty-three years and the memory is still fresh.  I learned some things.. grew a little smarter and wiser.  Here’s what I learned:

• To be successful, we must keep our eyes on the goal.  The goal in this instance was to get a shot at the target.  I failed.
• Why did I fail?  I got distracted by all of the exciting things happening around me.  I wanted so much to see the prize that I forgot how to win the prize.  What was necessary to bag the prize!
• I learned to listen and to actually pay attention to the instructions of someone wiser than me.

In our pursuit of the best life here and our life in heaven, we can get distracted by all the exciting (and pleasant experiences) going on around us.  The goal is not to get “caught up” in the excitement of this world, but to position ourselves to make us ready for the real prize… life evermore!  Apostle Paul said, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” And “Set your mind on things above, not on things of earth.”

So, when you catch yourself distracted spiritually, stop, back up a step, and rethink it.  Will we sacrifice the goal for the distraction?  I hope not.  BTW, I did have many more opportunities to bag the target successfully!  Learn from your mistakes… become wiser!