A Gift From God

[Autocar]

The spring of 2003 I meet a young man and his name was Nelson he was in the United States Army and had been in a motorcycle accident leaving him a quadrapolegic. He made such a impression on me Ive never meet anyone with such a positive attitude and his goal in life was to talk to high school kids and let them know anything is possible in life. He went on to tell me he always wanted to hunt deer but figured he never would. I told him his dream would come true and he would hunt with me that fall. His wheelchair weigh about 800 plus pounds so any hunting would have to be done from his handy-cap van. His best friend from high school was setting with him opening morning 2003 they had constructed a shooting bench from pylwood and two by fours. They also had turn buckles to lower and raise the slug gun and a turn buckle to move it left and right. He also had a hose that he could blow air into and it would move a little cylinder and pull the trigger. They set up on a lane looking at a little woods with a creek wraping around it. Mid morning a eight point buck steps out and stood broad side at eighty yards. You have to remember this full size van with the sliding door open and the lift platform folded out with two fellows setting in side. As Nelson looked though the scope he told his freind to raise the turn buckle and then to turn the other one to go to the left. All the while this buck never moves, Nelsons friend told me later it took them three or four minuites to get it sighted in on the deer. Nelsons blows on the line and the buck dropped in his tracks. When I pulled up in my pickup Nelson was crying and I asked him what was the matter. He looked up and said I wanted to hunt deer so bad and here I even got one. When I think back to that hunt it touches my heart we had the buck mounted and every time I would stop and check on him he would look up at that mount and tell me the whole story. As the years passed Nelsons health went down hill, on one up coming season he layed in his hospital bed for a whole year trying to get bed sores that had skin grafted over them to heal so he would beable to go hunting. With in two days of the up coming season Nelson was planing on hunting but opening morning he was unable to come. It wasn't long after words he passed away. To this day the spot where he killed his buck is known as Nelsons Spot theres not to many days that pass I don't think about him and what a great guy he was. I felt that this buck was a gift from God for Nelson. Some of you fellows enjoyed my story from this falls hunt and this one probably meant the most to me and felt you would enjoy it also.

[thecfarm]

Enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

[JohnM]

Yep, same here.  Great story.  I'm always amazed by people that manage to stay positive after going through something like that (if not excel afterwards ).  Makes you think twice about complaining too much. :-\ 

Thanks for sharing, Autocar.

JM

[samandothers]

Nelson had some great friends. 

He appears to have been a 'glass is half full' type of guy looking at the positives and looking to what he could do.  We all should be more positive and be thankful for the blessings we are given.  We sometimes get too caught up in the negatives. 

Thanks for sharing the story.

[ellmoe]

    Very touching story. He had a lot of spirit and some good friends.

[Magicman]

Thanks for sharing a wonderful experience.  Some questions need no answer, at least none that we would understand.

[doctorb]

Thanks for telling Nelson's tale.  It never ceases to amaze what a positive attitude and motivation can accomplish, regardless of the odds.  But more meaningful to me was his reaction when he accomplished his goal.  From the outside looking in, we are impressed by his fight to do it.  From the inside looking out, he was not going to be deterred until he succeeded. 

[Riggs]

That's a great story, thanks for taking the time to share it.

[Norm]

Very touching...thanks Bill.

[drobertson]

Thanks for sharing this with us,  true friendship last forever,  david

[red]

You are a good man  Bill   cant wait for next years hunt

[clww]

Thanks, Bill.

[Ernie]

Thanks Bill.  Another example of God's "Mysterious Ways His wonders to perform"

[Chuck White]

Thanks for posting, Bill!

Great story!

[goodnews]

wonderful testimony for our Saviour thanks to you and to Nelson and hes got that new body and he can walk around heaven all day with our Lord and Saviour  praise Him for He is worthy. in Christ     goodnews

[colincb183]

Reminds me of Kyle Maynard. He was born without arms or legs and still had the courage and determination to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Really an inspirational story

[justallan1]

Thank you for sharing, Bill. That is a very touching story.