THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY - 7

Something Fishy

Awhile back, my husband and I went fishing.  The weather was beautiful… sunshine and seventy degrees. The sky was clear and a vivid shade of blue.  We saw only a few white fluffy clouds here and there. As we set out, I grinned at my husband, and said, “First one to catch a fish wins a prize!” We fished all morning, but to no avail. The fish were just not biting! Not one single bite! 

We still had a great time, just riding down the lake, looking at the scenery.  Every now and then, we would say things, like, “It sure is nice today.” Or, “Look at those birds!” Or, “What is that floating on the water?”  Or, my personal favorite, “I need to get my fishing license!” That one was just for me. We would also stop to take a few pictures, because the scenery on Douglas Lake, and the Smoky Mountains in the distance was breathtaking!

Finally, we turned into a secluded cove to try, yet again. Perhaps we would at least get a nibble. We had tried different types of bait. We had cast toward the bank, away from the bank, along rocky cliffs, and near submerged trees. The water level was quite low, and the water was muddy, but we were doing everything we could to catch a fish.

We were just about ready to call it a day, and chalk it up to a good time, when I said, “Let me cast one more time, on this side of the boat.” I was using a worm, because that’s generally my bait of choice. I prefer live ones, but this was an ugly green artificial one. My cast was perfect! I let the worm sink just a little. To be honest, I guess I wasn’t really expecting anything, considering the way everything had been going.

Lo and behold…I felt a nibble, then another! Tug! Tug! Tug! I knew that feeling. I had a bite! “I’ve got a bite!” I yelled. I was so excited! My heart was pounding. My eyes widened in anticipation. I began to reel in my special prize, which I knew was probably just a small fish, but I was so glad to catch one, that it didn’t matter what kind. 

While I was anticipating the sight of my little fish coming to the top of the water, I suddenly felt a stronger pull. “It’s a big one!” I cried. “Get the net!” It didn’t take long for me to realize that my little fish had taken my lure, and my line through some tree brush underneath the water. I no longer felt any activity on the other end of my line. I knew that it was tangled in the brush. I’m sure the little fishy had escaped and was probably somewhere laughing at me. My husband, so kindly and patiently maneuvered our boat, so that he could break the line or retrieve my empty hook and bait. “I’m so sorry that my line got tangled,” I told him.

As I said the word, “tangled,” for some reason, I thought of one of my favorite Bible verses. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV),reads:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” 

I could not have continued fishing if I had just stayed in that spot, all tangled up in some brush. Metaphorically, many people aren’t doing the Lord’s work, because they are either tangled up in a sin, or something else that hinders them. For example, they may be tangled in fear, or pride, or resentment, unforgiveness, or a church hurt. Whatever might be hindering them, is preventing them from moving forward in their walk with the Lord.

Sometimes…we have to cut bait and run.  In  Matthew 4:19,  Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Let’s go fishing!  

HAVE A GREAT THURSDAY!