Gone Fishing

Believe it or not, last weeks trip to Texas was the first time I've ever gone fishing. On a previous trip to Mercedes, TX, I had gone on an overnight "fishing trip" on a relatively small boat. While the company was wonderful, we spent much of the night bobbing up and down in the water, trying to fall asleep under the stars. As I recall, there was no fishing done whatsoever, and if the truth be told, I was particularly excited to get back to dry land the next day.

Not so this trip. My son and I went out with a couple of avid "professional" fishermen on a really nice boat, and they had more fishing rods between them than I would care to count. After they'd explained the rudimentary details of fishing, we started our first practicum by throwing a net out to catch our own bait, and then we headed out into the gulf a few miles to catch some prized red fish. It was an incredible experience, and by the time I had wrestled my fish into the boat, I'd begun to have dreams of winning some sport fishing competition (not so fast my friend, I'm just kidding). The amazing thing is that only my son and I caught anything before we had to head back to shore (0ur boat developed a little engine trouble). We both caught 27 inch red fish and the experience of reeling them in and wrestling them into the boat was heady.

I must admit that it was one of the highlights of our trip (at least for me) and I really am seriously considering taking up fishing as a hobby (with all that spare time I have). That evening we had fish for dinner, and I admit, I had fish for breakfast the next morning too. There was so much meat that my family could only eat one of the fish (all five of us) over two meals. We gave one of the fish to our friend Efrain, who had been so gracious to take time off from his busy work schedule and hang out with us while we were on vacation. I am attaching a photo of my son and I proudly displaying our catch (and for good measure I am tossing in a photo of Efrain trying to fish with his mouth while tubing). The photo of us holding our prize catch is a little grainy as it was taken on a camera phone. In case you're wondering which one I am, I'm the good looking one on the left, or is it the right?

Anyway, the sense of accomplishment in knowing that I'd actually caught and cleaned my own dinner, made the fish taste better than any I have ever had. I guess it's sort of like 'fishing' for men. Jesus called His disciples to walk with Him, promising to make them "fishers of men." The comparison is drawn from the fact that there is no greater feeling of euphoria than sharing the truths of the scriptures with someone, and then sharing in the privilege of leading them into a personal relationship with Jesus. The satisfaction I derive from "fishing" for men is incomparable to anything else I have ever experienced. It's a joy and a privilege to go "fishing". Maybe you should try it sometime!