Abigail Oakley!

Annie Oakley--uh---I Mean Abigail Oakley!

By Vickie G. Paver

Abigail liked to think that she had that Annie Oakley spirit about life in general. She definitely thought she could outshoot and outride any man alive! She thought this, even though she had never shot a gun in her whole life! Her husband was willing to teach her though! She just knew she would be able to shoot very well! After all she was learning from an expert rifleman! Also, she just EXPECTED that shooting would be natural to her and she would excel because her husband was always encouraging and complimentary to her in everything she did and tried!

So the day came that Abigail would learn to shoot. Her husband set up the target. She was excited as her husband was explaining how to shoot the 30-06 correctly. “I know, I know!” She said. “I get it! I got it! Just let me shoot!”

Abigail’s husband stood back as he told her she might want to squat while shooting for the first time.” She pacified him and squatted. She searched out the target and took aim. Boom! Abigail rocketed back onto her behind! Whoa! She thought. This gun has a big kick! She did not know that her husband had loaded the gun with a bullet with a little more “hot shot” (more powder than usual.) And it had the expected effect! Abigail picked herself up off the ground and turned around to see her husband laughing hysterically! Immediately, she knew that she on the receiving end of a prank!

With her pride hurt--- just a little, Abigail was ready to pay attention to her husband’s instructions. He was---after all, the expert rifleman. She had a good time with her husband as she learned to shoot---but EXPERT---did not define Abigail’s shooting! Perhaps, “hit and miss” described it a little better.

Later that evening at home, Abigail watched her husband as he sat in his easy chair reading. She felt proud of him and felt very loved in spite of his little trick. Perhaps, she thought, this is how God deals with our pride. She knew that God had allowed her to go her own way in many situations and often found herself knocked on her backside! She had even suffered joking remarks because of her silliness and people had laughed at her. Luckily, Abigail knew how to laugh at herself too. However, she knew that pride was not a laughing matter and that God has taught her many lessons at the cost of her pride! But, she also knew that she was loved---and once again God brought home a valuable lesson. She hoped and prayed that she would grow a little more as these lessons came her way each day---

For fun read the history of Annie Oakley

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