Embrace Every New Day
The mountain was steep and I had to bust my way through alders at lower elevations. As difficult as my first sheep hunt was, this climb was much harder. I finally broke out on top and found myself on the rim of a beautiful, large 'bowl'- but there were no sheep. I was able to cover some ground and glass great distances with my spotting scope, and there were NO sheep- none- zip- nada. By the time I got back down to my ATV it was late in the day. I decided to push further into the mountains.
At the very end of the trail, I discovered an old trapper's cabin. It had a door and most of a roof, and by positioning myself just right on an old bedframe I was able to keep most of the rain off of me as it poured through the open roof. This was a significant upgrade from my tent, which I had already learned did not keep out any of the rain. There were plenty of mice in the cabin, but a weasel that was darting back and forth kept all of us on high alert.
Looking back on my experience the previous year, I was beginning to understand that sheep hunting involved a lot of suffering- a lot of discomfort- a lot of disappointment. I don't know if I slept at all that night, but I do know that morning finally came. With each new day comes new possibilities. The weather was still bad, though the rain had settled down. I hadn't seen a single sheep, but the trail had forked back near the beginning, so I decided to try a different route into a new stretch of mountains.
Here's the thing about life- trying hard and doing your best is not a guarantee of success, but doing nothing absolutely guarantees your failure. This is why we should embrace every NEW DAY, every NEW POSSIBILITY, every NEW OPPORTUNITY- with gusto! Volunteer to read children stories at the hospital, go sit with the residents of a nursing home, sign up to help with a Sunday School class, go back to college, learn a new hobby or skill- and whatever you do, do it all in the name of Jesus! God will bring many opportunities to share your faith. Leave your mark on the world TODAY, and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on March 7, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions