Fine Art of Fishing

For some reason this morning I'm filled with memories of weekend camping, cookouts, fishing and river rafting trips with my family. Uncle Walter Masters was the family “river guide”. In we went, some piled up in rafts – others in inner tubes. These were the days before the Nantahala became the booming business that it is today. Back then you were on your own – you picked your spot to get in the water and off you went.

We camped around the lake. Most of the kids (me included!) spent our time in the water splashing and laughing. Aunt Peggy instructed the older boys on gathering the firewood and getting the campfire started. Mom and Dad had our big tent set in the perfect spot and spread out all our sleeping bags.

It was ideal.

I went out on the lake to go fishing with my brother, David. He was (and is) a bit of an imp. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon out on the lake. It couldn’t have been more perfect and I was so excited to be there with David. He told me if I let my bait get too far down in the water the giant catfish that lived on the bottom of the lake would grab it and jump up and get me too! Needless to say I believed anything my big brother told me.

I made sure my lure/bait bobbed right on top of the water so I could very clearly see what it was that might be interested in taking a nibble. I had a brilliant idea (or so I thought). I would watch closely and if I saw something coming that I didn’t want to catch, I would snatch my bait up out of the water!

For years I have thought of that particular fishing trip as an analogy to my faith journey. Sometimes I go out in fear and refuse to go too deep. I’m afraid of being rejected, afraid of offending someone, afraid of being hurt. There are other moments in my life when I live out my faith very carefully. I don’t want to dig too deep because I might “catch” someone who is high maintenance and I don’t have time for that!

I love that Jesus took everyday events and turned them in to teachable moments. He did so with fishing. That was something the disciples knew about and understood. They were not catching fish. He suggested they go to the other side of the boat and cast their nets. They did and when they began dragging the net in -- BOOM! It was SO heavy as it was laden with fish!

I think now more than ever Jesus Christ calls his believers to fish. 
He calls us to reach out in a spirit of love and grace. 

I think I'm going to do some fishin' today