OUTDOOR TRUTHS: Excitement of Turkey Hunting Season

By Gary Miller

Opening morning of turkey season did not disappoint. Even though I never took a shot, I had lots of action. And it’s always great when you can watch a tom strut for an extended period of time. If it were not for a late morning zoom that I had to attend, I would have stayed longer, just trying to get a gobbler a little closer. But I sure am glad my local season finally opened. It seemed like it would never get here. What made it worse was just driving around and seeing all the toms already in their mating strut, and knowing that in years past, the season would have already been opened. I just felt like I was missing out. It reminded me of a stock market acronym that is often used. FOMO. It is the Fear Of Missing Out.            

The fear of missing out is a term used to describe those who jump in the market at an inopportune time because they get afraid if they don’t’ get in now, they will miss real future gains. The scenario goes something like this. The stock price begins rising and rising. The news concerning said stock is all good. The pundits say it’s the next big thing. So, you buy when the price is at its peak. And then the inevitable happens. The stock price drops and drops and drops, until your holdings are so far in the red, you wonder if you will ever recover, much less, make a profit. It’s a bad place to be in – that is unless you’re thinking about your spiritual relationship.

I really don’t like how we ask people to be in a relationship with God. Instead of the FOMO version, we use the FOM version. The FOM version says accept Christ so you can miss Hell. The FOMO version says, follow Christ so you can enjoy the benefits of those who follow Him. One says accept Jesus or He will send you to hell. (FOM) The other says, receive Jesus so he can save you from the condemnation that is on us all. (FOMO) One says, be afraid of what God might do to you. (FOM) The other says be excited for what God might do for you. Let’s face it, no healthy relationship is built on the threat from the abuse of the other. And neither is one’s relationship to God. He loves you. Period. He is for you. His desire is that you have a fulfilled life. And following Christ would still be the best decision anyone could ever make, even if hell did not exist. It’s not about missing. It’s about missing out. And now would be a good time to FOMO in.

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Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Miller can be reached via email at gary@outdoortruths.org. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org.