Gone Fishing

I hope that  you have a hobby.  One of my hobbies is fishing.  Now, it is important that I note that there is a difference between fishing and catching.  Most of the time when I have a fishing rod and reel in my hand I am fishing.  How exciting it is when those times come around when I transition from fishing for fish to catching fish.

My Uncle Harold Dean Perry was the person that I believe taught me to love fishing when his family and our family had a travel trailer and we would go to Kerr Lake.  Uncle Harold Dean was patient and kind as he taught me as a young boy to put a worm on my hook and patiently  watch the cork until it began moving to pull in a fish.   There have been more fishing trips where I have not caught fish than those when I brought in a bountiful supply of fish.

We read in the scriptures that the first followers of Jesus were two sets of  fishing brothers Peter and Andrew, James and John.   I don't think it was a haphazard selection of Jesus that he chose these fisherman as his first disciples.   There are some things about fishing that are important attributes in being a follower of Jesus and having a good life.   To be a good fisherman, you must have a lot of patience. You wait, and then you wait some more.    I have not generally been a very patient person in life and in my faith journey.  Fishing has helped me be more patient.     It is also important in fishing to try to think like a fish.  While that worm or other bait on your hook may not look like a good meal to you, does it look like a tasty treat to the fish?    Look at things from someone else's viewpoint.   That is important not just in fishing, but in life.   Finally, every good  fisherman knows how to tell a story about the fish they caught or the fish that got away.   You have a story to tell too whether it be the story of what God has done in your life and what your life is about.  Perhaps I will see you fishing.  Have a joy-filled week.- Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   God, the son of God, Christ Jesus, called his disciples to be fishers of men and women.  Give me the patience of a fisherman in my relationship with others and my relationship with you and help me tell your story in deeds and words.  Amen.