Have you gone fishing lately? When I was very young, my little brother and I enjoyed fishing with my Grandma Marie and Grandpa Pete. As the decades pass by, like pages in a book, the memories remain just like it was yesterday. Looking back at the experience, I now understand how much our grandparents loved us. At the time, I didn’t realize how much effort it took to go fishing. One needs a lot of equipment and supplies, and it’s still not a guarantee that you will catch any fish! A fishing pole, wire, net, hooks, worms, chairs, and a cooler for lunch and drinks. The most important thing one needs when they set out on the adventure to fish is… a lot of PATIENCE!
One thing I’ve noticed over the years, since my boy’s like to fish, is the bait has drastically changed. When we were young, we had to get our hands dirty and wrestle with a slimy worm. I didn’t really like piercing and pushing the wiggling worm on the hook so much…eeewwww. Today they make fake worms, bright and shiny gadgets that shimmer in the water, and other products that release flavor to attract the fish. What happened to the good ole days of a pole, worm on a hook, and a bob like my grandparents taught me? Seems we are always trying to improve upon our lives, and make things better. In fish terminology, people try and make themselves look shiny and bright all the time! We adorn ourselves with jewelry, drive fancy cars, live in fancy houses, and worry more about what we have compared to others. We get so hung up on the material things of this world, and believe that’s what we need to fill ourselves up.
Fill yourself up with Peace instead! Take your kids and grandkids fishing…listen to the birds sing, pack a picnic lunch, have a conversation with them without their phones and technology, tell them a story about when you were little, laugh with them, listen to the wind rustle through the trees. Get back to some basics when fishing…Sit quietly and wait, watch the soft ripples in the water, and be on the lookout for turtles, frogs, and other creatures that live by the water of life. Bask in the sunlight, and when you watch the bob go under the water a few times, get excited! You’ve just caught a fish! You’ve also caught and captured moments that will be shared with generations to come. These experiences will be etched in their minds, and will come alive years later to stand the test of time. Stories of nature, of quietness, of patience, and of family times. Find peace in the experience of fishing with those you love…
Matthew 4:19. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”