Fishing

Yesterday we had a fun family day.  We went fishing.  We drove around most of the day trying to find a good spot to fish.  We tried out a couple.  Finally we found a great spot.   As we stood on the dock, my husband got all the poles ready, I baited a couple.  My older two know how to cast, my youngest does not.  I was trying to explain what to do.  My husband and I both showed her once using her hands to guide her.  She did not want our help.  She wanted to do it all by herself, she's a big girl now you know.  So we backed off.  She cast and threw her brand new pink princess fishing pole right into the lake.  Somehow she had a part of the line in her hand but nothing else.  I jumped forward in time to see it sink below visibility.  She stood there with her line in her hand not sure if she had done it right or not with a confused look on her face.  I pulled on the line and realized it was just going to keep coming and coming.  My husband got a water bottle to wrap it around and we reeled in her pretty pink pole.  Her brother's comment, "Look you caught a fishing pole."

Luckily the line had tangled itself, so we didn't have to reel in a 100 yards of line.  My husband fixed her pole, re-baited it and we explained again how to cast.  I made sure to add "when you let go of the button and throw keep holding the fishing pole, don't throw it in too."  We took her hands and showed her how to do it and this time she paid close attention.  Anxious to try again, she cast beautifully.  She continued to fish singing away for the fishys to come eat her worm.  Unfortunately she didn't catch anything, but she learned how to fish and that was exciting enough for her.  Since we came home she keeps asking, "Can we go fishin now, I want to fish again."

It made me think of how often I get impatient with God.  How often I think I got this, I know how, just hand it over and let me do it.  In those times I usually mess up, things sink, get tangled, messes are made.   In those moments I look to God confused, hurt, sad and God graciously  reels me back in, mess and all,  and patiently shows me his way.  If I can imitate HIS way I can do it right, and while I might not get the fish or get to the destination immediately, as long as I'm following God and trying to do things HIS way I'm doing better than I could ever do on my own.

 "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." Ephesians 5:1

Just as our children learn to do tasks by watching us, we can learn from God our father, through HIS word. How can you imitate God today? 

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