drgregorygordon

Nov. 4, 2022

AFTER THE LAUGHTER

I love to deer hunt . I have done this since my youth. Much conversation in the office is about this especially as the season nears. Many fellow hunters pull out their phones and are eager to share pictures of big bucks taken by their trail cams.

I have learned much from the lessons and stories of others and hope that maybe I have done the same for others.. I have made more than my fair share of screw ups and am not afraid to share them.

I love to worship as well. I have always felt closer to God in a tree stand than any building I have ever been in. I have said this many times over the years. Many other hunters tell me they feel the same way. This could be taken out of context and twisted to imply I am enjoying creation more than my creator. I promise that is not what I am saying at all.

Not all hunts are blissful mind you. I have many time carried my problems out in the woods with me along with all my other gear. It seems Satan can climb up a ladder stand as well and some hunts can be hell. I feel close to my dad as well when I am in the woods. I remember the lessons he passed on and down to me. I feel close to him and play those memories and precious hours together as I sit in total silence. If I move to quickly or bump my barrel of my gun making a slight click , I scold myself. I smile knowing the look he would have given me for such a racket.

One time I was walking back from a stand 500 yards or so back to our house. I think I was missing my dad maybe a little more that particular day. I changed the way I was carrying my shotgun and held it like my dad always did. I cut across our horse pasture to shorten the distance. I was watching our horses grazing in the field. I looked at the huge muscles in their legs and thought of their strength , speed, power, and leaping ability. I thought how they must be amused by the feats of men in which men get trophies and accolades .

A big red tailed hawk whistled high above as I watched him pass over heading south and reminding me of scripture at the same time. I felt a little nudge from God right then allowing me to know he was right there and was trying to show me something. I thought how the hawk must feel sorry for me as he watched me far below huffing and puffing as I slowly trudged across the pasture. He must think, 'Those poor humans . They cannot even fly and they cannot see. They think 20/20 is good vision! I can read the date on a dime at 3/4 of a mile. It's no wonder they run into such much trouble."

I know my friend , hawks and horses may not reason like that. However , there is a story in your bible where a donkey not only sees something a man could not but talks and explains the problem to him.

As these thoughts circled in my mind the hawk circled over again. I wondered if he wanted to make sure the big blind mole found his way back.

Then I thought of something that I have never thought of before. It is true we are not all that fast. We cannot fly and our best feats of speed and power are puny in comparison to many other creatures God has made. At that moment and yet to this day I feel a little sorry for them. They will never know how wonderful it is to have a good old belly laugh. I love the sound of laughter and I think one of Gods greatest gifts which is often under appreciated at least in us adults. Children laugh all the time. They are not afraid to laugh or care even when they snort while doing so. When I hear someone laughing it reminds me of this hunt and this lesson. We all need to seek out humor. I promise, it's good for us. I think it is one of the best sounds God ever created.

I find it both interesting and amusing what people thinks is funny. I am always cracking silly jokes with patients and family. I sometimes cannot tell if they are laughing at me or with me but I could care less. I love that sound and I am after the laughter!

There is another side to humor that I think people often miss. The harder we laugh sometimes is because it hits close to home. Many truths are hidden in jokes and comedy. After the laughter, think about why you laughed . You might just find there was a treasure or helpful insight for you to ponder and or share.

Are you the one who makes the hawk soar and spread it's wings to the south?

Job 39:36

You don't stop laughing because you get older. You grow older because you stop laughing.

Maurice Chevalier

No one would have been invited to dinner as often as Jesus was unless he was interesting and had a sense of humor.

Charles M. Schultz

One nice thing about telling a clean joke there's a good chance no one's heard it before.

Doug Larson

Then the Lord caused the donkey to speak. Numbers 22:28

The kind of humor I like is the thing that makes me laugh for five seconds and think for ten minutes.

William Davis

                        As you come up our drive and after you cross the small creek,you pass between two field stone 

                         pillars that match the stones on our home. There is a light atop both of them . Right now, one is green and the                           the side is white. The green light is to show support for all the people who serve our military as well

                         as those who have done so in the past.

                         At Christmas i hang white lights along the 4 rail horse fence. We change the white one to red and

                         The entryway is good to go. The placement of the red and green has a reason behind it as well. 

                          It may seem to be be random but Iassure you is not the case.

                         On a plane the red light is always on the left side and the green is on the right side. green and right both

                          have 5 letters and this was how I was taught to remember as a boy.  This applies to boats as well.

                         Our oldest son, Josh, is a navel aviator. He and his wonderful wife , Christina, are a week or two from going

                          to Japan. They have lived in several places over the last few years. They lived in Fallon Nevada

                          most recently and we were blessed to have all of our boys and their girls under our roof and together 

                          the holidays. 

                         Since they aproached our farm from the west the right light was green and the left one was on the left 

                         came home. When they were out east in Va it was the reversed. Japan is on the other side of the world

                         so I am not sure what I will do. I have not stepped it off but am told it is about as far east to west as it is 

                         west to east.

                         God is a concerned loving Father who loves you so much! He has made a way for you to come 

                         home through his son Jesus. The porch light of heaven is on . You have a green light my friend.

                         Because of the red blood of Jesus ,your sins are forgiven . Your approach is cleared as well as all your sins.

                          As far as the east is from the west,so far has removed our transgressions from us.

                                                                                                                                                             Psalm 103:12

 ENTRY

                            Yesterday I went out to check on the horses. It has again been vey hot here of late and a daily chore

                             to top off the water troughs will cool clear water.As I make my rounds the horses ususlly get excited when                                    they hear the sound of our old red ATV.  Because this vehicle usally has horse feeds as well as carrots, we c                                  call  it  "Chuck" short for chuck wagon .

                             There is a mare and two young ones in the south pasture. I whistled and they did not come. I banged on the

                              red tubes on the gate with the scooper. It makes a sound that sounds like a hillbilly dinner bell. I had seen                                    them the evening before and knew they were ok. I surmised they had found a place with a breeze and had it                                made in the shade.

                            I set the bright orange bucket filled with feed and carrots in front of the gate. This bucket was a physical                                   reminder for me to "lets  do this later". I had some mowing to do and that filled several hours of the                                               afternoon. I  kept   looking down at the water tank seeing they had not yet drank from it and for the first                                     time  became a  little  concerned.

                           I went down to the gate and did the two tone whistle my dad taught me. I do this in honor of him and have                                  taught my sons to do the same. They all would turn and prick up their earsand know it was me  if I did this                                  even in a crowd.

                           I banged again on the gate and in no time flat heard the three of them flat out running as hard as they could 

                           go. They seemed happy to see me and even more to see Chuck .They were breathing heavy as they devoured                                their snacks.

                          My friend I believe God is calling all of us. As we read Scripture, we learn he calls us all differently .  Many                                    people tell me after I speak that I missed my calling. I would quite my practice and enroll in seminary school                                 tomorrow if I felt in my heart that is what God wanted for me. I answered  my "call to the see" many years                                  ago.  I love  the interaction I have with patients for the most part. I never would have believed God would and                            could could use me to write  these stories for his glory.

                          He has blended  and used the very things I love and hold dear such as horses, hunting , and rivers . I am often                            very  surprised at how stories and lessons come together in such a way that I know it is not me but him                                          working  through me. Here is the exciting part, he wants to do the same with you. You may not be called to                                  write or do  eyes but you are being called . What do you do that gives you joy and satisfaction? There is your                               best clue in  regard to what God is calling you to do.

                          I  pray  that at times this website feeds you. I write for all God's people and not just those who gather under                               the steeple. All I know is when I do this with the hope of pleasing my Savior, it just feels so "write"!

                                                 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things 

                                                 you do not know.                                                                                       Jeremiah 33:3

                                                   When you empty yourself, God rushes in.  

                                                                                                                                  A.W. Tozer

                                                    For the man who prays in his heart ,the whole world is a church.

                                                                                                                                   Sylvain of Athos