Fishing with the Grandkids

Back in the 1980’s, there was a syndicated television show called “The Southern Sportsman” hosted by Franc White.    At the time, I was living in eastern NC and would see Franc White’s zebra-striped  vehicle riding around the area from time to time.  Franc White ended each episode of his television show with one sentence:  “Do yourself a favor, take a kid fishing.”  I did that a few weeks ago when Ann and I had all our children and grandchildren  together for a few days in the N.C. mountains. 

One afternoon,  all of us went over to Lake Junaluska.   While some of the family took a dip in the pool,  I took some of the grandchildren and went fishing on a pier next to the pool.   There were only two of my 6 grandchildren that wanted to go fishing with “Pop Pop”:   8 year old Thomas and 3 year old Eloise.   Thomas and I had gone to the woods and cut down some tree limbs to make into fishing poles.   With Thomas’s help,  I put fishing line, weights, and a fishing hook on each fishing pole.  This was Thomas’s second fishing trip with me and this was the very first fishing trip ever for Eloise.   I put the worm on the fishing hook for Eloise and helped Thomas secure the worm on his fishing hook.  After Eloise and Thomas had their fishing hooks into the water, I told Eloise,  “Now Eloise,  one of the things that you have to do when you are fishing is be patient.  Do you know what the word patient means?”   Eloise replied,  “Yes, Pop Pop.  It means that you got to wait and wait.”    Eloise and Thomas did not wait very long.  Soon, their interest in fishing waned and they ended their fishing expedition heading to take a dip in the pool.  

Sometimes, you have to wait and wait.   Sometimes, you have to be patient not just when fishing but in life.  Hungry children wait for their parents to prepare dinner, and commuters wait in traffic.   Eager brides wait for their wedding day to come, and farmers wait for the harvest to be ready.   Psalm 27:14 declares:    “Wait for the Lord;  be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”     It is hard for my grandchildren  to wait for a fish to be caught, and it hard for God’s children to wait for a prayer to be answered or a healing to happen.    Perhaps one of the reasons why Jesus called fisherman to be his disciples was because he knew that we need patience.   Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God,  I celebrate that you are still working in the world.  Give me patience as we wait for your will to be fulfilled;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.