"God Shoots Straight With Crooked Bows"

From J.K. Rowling to Charles Alsheimer, there are numerous books to which I take a particular liking and given the two authors mentioned its easy to say that I have quite the eclectic taste when it comes to literature. However, when it comes to books that I can read any day of the week regardless of my particular mood nothing beats a good devotional.

Steve Chapman is a avid Christian and an avid hunter who preaches, sings and writes about his love for God and his love for the outdoors. Holding steadfast to his beliefs regardless of the situation there may not be a better man to fit the description that hunting is, in fact, more than just a pursuit.

Given the warm weather and my disinterest in steeple-chase racing, this past weekend I decided to sit outside and read Chapman's "Another Look at Life From a Deer Stand: Going Deeper into the Woods." The sequel to the orginial "A Look at Life From the Deer Stand," Chapman's book focuses on finding God in each every aspect of our lives regardless of whether it's in the church on Sunday or on the way to the deer stand on a crisp autumn morning. There was one passage I found quite inspirational and I'd like to share it with you all.

"Skilled bowyers will agree that a perfect bow never begins with a perfect stick of wood. The fact is, there is no such thing as a flawless stave from which a bowyer begins the process. Instead, the key to a great shooting bow is in the amount of understanding the bowyer has of a wood and the level of his or her ability to work with it. --- The same can be said of people. Romans 3:9 and 23 is an assessment of the quality each of us as spiritual staves: "There is none righteous, not even one" and "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Analogously Chapman compares the carving of a bow to each and every one of our lives. None of us is perfect and in essence we are all "crooked bows." But, just as a seasoned archer can shoot a 300 with a crooked bow with plenty of patience and practice, each of us can and will find heaven through giving ourselves wholly and completely to Jesus Christ. It may be a bumpy ride and the path may not always be easy, but the reward in the end will be worth all the trials and tribulations! As Chapman goes on to say, "Wow...God shoots straight with crooked bows!"

There are numerous passages from Chapman's book that I'd like to share with you all over the coming weeks. And, I'd highly recommend any of the books in the Chapman series. He speaks of God, grace and glory and to any reader, be they a hunter and non-hunter alike, his words will be truly inspirational.

As always, God Bless and Happy Hunting!