Devotions For The Outdoorsman: "Thin Ice"
In my years as an outdoorsman I have learned the meaning of cold. I have been caught in the middle of a snow storm in the Rockies on an elk hunt. I have hunted waterfowl in sub zero weather until our shotguns literally froze and we couldn’t shoot anymore. One of those hunts that stick out was a waterfowl hunt on my ranch in western Oklahoma. I was with good buddies Clayton and Landon. It was freezing and we had a strong north wind adding to the blistering cold. We had killed several ducks and geese and it was panning out to be a great hunt. My chocolate lab was also with us on the hunt. The watershed we were hunting was spring fed and in certain spots the springs had melted the thick ice into holes about eight feet wide. On a retrieval of a duck my dog Bo fell into one of these holes and found himself trapped.
The water was cold and Bo was losing strength. The ice was to thick for him to break and he couldn’t claim out. Clayton was the closest of the three of us to him and went out to get him. Clayton laid prone on the ice and crawled about fifteen yards out on the ice to pull out my dog. Clayton reached out and grabbed Bo by the collar and pulled him out of the hole and onto the ice. Landon and I watched as Bo and Clayton’s weight was to much and the ice gave way and the both of them disappeared into the freezing water. In waders and several layers of clothes we ran as fast as we could along the bank of the watershed. It was about a seventy five yard run to the point they fell in. Landon was screaming Clayton’s name and we weren’t getting an answer. We suddenly saw Bo crawl on the bank and run our way, still no Clayton. Our worst fears seemed to be coming true. Suddenly I rounded a group of cattails to find Clayton half in the water and half out laying flat on his back. He was in a state of shock. I’m not one to help another man out of his clothes but we got Clayton out of those wet clothes and into the truck with the heater blowing.
I look back on that hunt and think was it worth it? Clayton risked his life for a dog. Bo was a great dog but to put your life on the line for a dog is a bit silly when you really think about it. I mean, Clayton is a man and Bo was just a little ol’ dog. I’m then reminded of what Christ did for us on the cross. Why in the world would God send His son to die for me? Little ol’ me? Because of my sin I am trapped in a hole and I can’t get out. Their is nothing I can do to get myself out of this mess. I am in need of a savior but I’m not worthy of being saved. However, the beauty of all of this is it doesn’t matter what I think about myself, it matters what God thinks of my worthiness. John 3:16 tells us this. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God says he loved us enough to send us a savior. We did nothing to deserve it but God made a way for us to be rescued.
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12
Their is only one way out of the hole. Jesus. Do you know him as your savior? If not ask him into your heart today. If you do know him as your Savior thank him for saving little ol’ you.
Author Brad Clay is the host of Final Descent Outdoors and a licensed and ordained minister in Oklahoma. Brad served for 12yrs in vocational ministry before stepping out to do full time outdoor ministry in 2013. Brad resides in Edmond, OK and is married with four children.