The 14th annual Blessing of the Hunt, presented by Goss Baptist Church, brought thousands to the Columbia Expo Center last Thursday night to kick off deer hunting season while thanking God for wildlife and the outdoors.
There were a total of 47 vendors who attended, and guests weaved in and out of the aisles purchasing items before sitting down to listen to the featured speaker Gary Miller. Miller is an accomplished author, best known for his weekly column, “Outdoor Truths,” and his three books.
Miller addressed many topics while speaking to the crowd but focused on how the outdoors point to the existence of God.
“When you fire up that boat and ease out into the lake, and the sun comes up, the fish start jumping and the fog starts clearing off the mountains — you look around and think I don’t why He did it, I don’t know when He did it, I don’t know how He did it, but I know somebody bigger than me did this,” he said.
Miller added that one thing he has noticed over the years is that there are very few outdoorsmen who don’t believe in God.
“When you look at the millions of hunters in America and think about the minority of atheists in that group, you think about why. Why is there so few atheists in the group of us hunters and fishermen? The reason is when you’re outside like we are, we’re sure that there is a God,” he said. “The last person who should miss heaven ought to be a hunter or a fisherman. You get to see it before anybody else. How can you not get it?”
After speaking for about 45 minutes, Miller closed with some food for thought.
“God doesn’t do things because it’s a good idea. He does things and creates nature to point you and I to God,” he said. “It’s not enough to be pointed to God, but nature points to something that can change all of our lives. It points to the fact that our time on earth is not the end. Creation points to the fact that there’s going to be a resurrection.”
Pastor Michael Morgan discussed next year’s Blessing of the Hunt and its scheduled guest speaker.
“We are excited for Nov. 8, 2018, and we’re excited about having John Croyle here. He’s an outdoorsman and also a founder of the Big Oak Ranch for children in Gadsden, Ala.,” he said. “You might have heard him on the Rick & Bubba show as well. He’s a great guy, and he’s the father of (quarterback) Brodie Croyle who played for Alabama. He also played for Alabama on the 1973 National Championship team under Bear Bryant. So we’re excited for him coming next year.”
There were several big winners on the night with Scott Johnson, Keith Helton and Sue Peterson winning guns, while Brenda Montgomery won a muzzle loader and Robbie Gill won a guided bow hunt in Illinois with Waldo Cleland. The biggest winner of the night, however, was Larry Atkins, who won the grand prize — a 2017 Landmaster Sport Utility Vehicle.
Pictured Above: Larry Atkins, left, was handed the keys to the grand prize, a 2017 Landmaster Sport Utility Vehicle, by Bro. Mark McArthur. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
