Those Old Antlers

We have just moved into a small (1200 sf) home on a 500 acre ranch. This home is located on East FM 217 and is ideallic in a rustic, far from town, up on a hill, sort of way. This is a TEXAS Ranch.

Our landlords are Sharon Nolte's parents. John and Martha Courntey run beautiful Charolais cattle on the ranch and raise hay. Martha is a tough little woman, who comes from a family with 13 siblings, raised in a 3 bedroom home. She is quite self sufficient and an absolutely no nonsense type of temperament, but always has a beautiful smile on her face. We were told that John has the mind that children are in the way and cause trouble and has no patience for their loitering, lingering, or playing in his presence. A side note is that they have let it be known that they don't like renters and really didn't want to get into a rental relationship. But, due to our friendship with Joe and Sharon, and their good word vouched for us, we are renting this perfect little house on the prairie.

Joel, 15, is craving to HUNT. He wants to own his own deer hunting gun and is working to earn that $. Meanwhile, until he is invited to hunt somewhere, or can lease his own hunting property, he takes advantage of his time by learning the habits of the animals. Designing hog traps, learning various calls, watching u-tube hunting videos, going to local gun shows, collecting knives and doing any other sort of activity with a bent towards hunting, has been a consuming past time for all of his free time.

Yesterday, Sunday afternoon, while the rest of the family wanted to take a nap, or read, since it was cold with a wind from the north, Joel wanted to go for a hike on this lovely 500 acre ranch. He said that he wanted to see if he could find any deer. Big hint here that I should have known was that it was SUNDAY afternoon, the most popular day for hunters to hunt. I was absorbed in solving the Thanksgiving table décor issue and had my glue gun ready with the kitchen table FULL of ideas and crafts. The girls were making their own mess with my ideas, so needless to say, I put Joel and his HIKE out of my mind.

Now, this ranch is leased out to a hunter and his son. We are not clueless to hunter etiquette, but for obvious reasons mentioned on the kitchen table, I wasn't thinking of Joel's hike being on a Sunday, the most popular day for a father-son going on a deer hunt. Joel left the house with his Carhart jacket, boots, and some deer antlers given to him by his uncle several years ago. The antlers were tied together with an old rope so they could be flung over his shoulder and carried easier. Since the bucks are in rut, they are somehow attracted to the clattering noise of antlers. When the antlers are wracked together, I suppose the deer are to think there is some other buck around to fight, so they get curious and approach. That's Joel's hope anyhow.

Joel, of course didn't have a gun with him. This isn't his lease or place. He said as he left, “I just want to see what's out there, Mom.” Sounded good to me as I thrust a finger I had just burned with the glue gun into my mouth. He left and the girls and I were on a mission to finish our napkin rings. We had beautiful Christmas music playing and a loaf of bread baking in the bread machine. Dad was napping. All was well on the cold, overcast, breezy afternoon.

.......until Joel came home a couple of hours later. Now, understand that hunters can have an attitude that they own the place, and I guess justifiably so, since they pay good money for the right to hunt on the ranch. And, a boy, who is alone and unaccompanied, becomes a perfect target for expressed indignation. PURE wrath.

After about 3 hours of hiking around and clanking his horns Joel started his trek home. He was walking up a slight hill when over the crest on the same road appeared a white jeep. Now, when we are surprised and awakened from our reveries, we can sometimes absentmindedly react from fear, which can cause us to later regret. Yep, that's what happened to Joel. When he saw that Jeep, he reacted by throwing the antlers over the fence. Mr. Hunter and son approached Joel and,of course, asked if he had a gun and “what was he doing out here?” The discourse continued and Joel stammered he was sorry numerous times and that he didn't want to mess up their hunting. He made that clear to them.

Joel came home and wanted to die. It's one of those questions that ask for you to tell of a time in your life that if you had the opportunity, what would you erase. He was embarrassed!!! Not really that he was confronted by an irate hunter and son because, after all, he was wrong to “disturb” the deer. But, he was completely befuddled as to his throwing those old antlers over the fence, right in sight of the menacing couple. WHY DID HE DO IT???, he kept asking over and over again.

Now, Joel did worry of our predicament when we would be confronted by Mr. Courtney the next day. He did fear that we may be told to leave. He did fear that Joe and Sharon would be mad at our stupidity. But, to throw his antlers over the fence?? That's like saying “No, I didn't take any cookies”, when in fact the chocolate chips had left tell tale smudges on my chin. The evidence didn't look good, very dim indeed.!!

We prayed with him. He didn't eat much and hung out with us all evening, just jabbering, anything to get his mind off the mountain of trouble. He watched some movies until slumber FINALLY took his mind. This morning I woke him at 6:00 so he could be ready for his work. He put on his tennis shoes and ran down in the dark to where he threw the antlers over the fence. Sure enough, they were gone. This did not help his condition. Dad took him to work where he is digging dirt out from under this old cabin with our pastor Perry and friend, Jason. Besides God, those are the BEST people for him to lay out this burden. I mean, after all, parents don't always understand, right??? Oh, how I thank God for His Mercy and Grace.

So, the end of this story is none other than the Glory of God. Right now, Joel's old deer antlers are on his bed waiting for his return from work. Our land lords came to “visit” and were incredibly warm and understanding. Over a half hour or longer chat Jody and I began our hopefully long and blessed friendship with Martha and John Courtney. Martha constantly smiled and John shared he was the president of the school board of Jonesboro. He does love kids. They are gracious to let us rent this wonderful home as they were not really wanting any renters to begin with. We look forward to many more visits and pray we magnify God and His presence. Joel's mountain is now a molehill. This has been written down to remind him to place his burdens on Christ's shoulders and to know God is in Control.