Fishing For Fun

You know the saying, “The early bird catches the worm”? Well, this morning we decided to get up early and head to the Wynooche River to do some fishing. Of course, plans always seem great the night before but then in the morning when the alarm goes off you begin to wonder if this grand plan was really such a good idea. Yet, despite our initial reservation about leaving such warm and comfortable beds we grabbed our jackets and poles and headed for the river. This morning was foggy but not too cold and we were excited about the possibility of catching some fish for dinner.

By the time we walked over to the river a couple of fisherman were already there casting their lines into the swift flowing river. We rigged the lines and began fishing right away. Matt was using a lure, Bret had some bait, and Leanne and I shared a pole. Each cast brought anticipation that we were one step closer to a fresh fish fry at the farm. Soon Matt caught the first fish. He was from a large school of fish. Unfortunately, that would be the “Preschool” size so he had to release him. A short time later Matt caught another fish but this one was only about five inches long so it had to be released as well. We knew we had some chores waiting for us back at the farm so we couldn’t stay too long. As the time wore on I prayed for my son that the Lord would help him catch a fish. I knew how much it meant to him and I was hoping that he wouldn’t be disappointed. Fishing really has a way of allowing time for reflection and I can understand why fishermen love it so much. It’s very relaxing. For two hours we enjoyed the sounds of the rushing water and the reels as they spun with each cast.

Oh, were you wondering if we ever caught a fish? Well, yes, but not in the usual way. We did fish for two hours but after Matt’s two “returns” no one else got a nibble. As we packed up our gear and headed for the trail up to the road Matt noticed a small land locked area of water that had baby fish in it. As he looked closer his eyes caught a glimpse of a foot long trout. We have no idea how it got stuck in this little area of water so we released him into our net and then into the frying pan at home. I know it sounds like we cheated but didn’t Peter use a net to catch fish? Somehow we felt like Peter in the boat with Jesus on shore saying, “Cast your net on the other side.” We weren’t catching anything and yet, like Peter, Jesus directed my son to look in the pool of water to find his fish. Only Jesus can answer a mom’s prayer like that! Isn’t God good?