“Fish!”

“As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler.”

—Izzak Walton

A number of years ago our three sons and I spent a couple of days drifting and fishing the Madison River in Montana. We hired two guides who also served as our boatmen. The guide I drew was a man who had lived on the river all his life and knew where the big trout held. He was a taciturn man—spoke scarcely two-dozen words in two days. (His longest sentence was muttered under his breath when I broke off a trout: “If you play tug-of-war with a fish, fish will win every time.”) But his few words were immensely helpful. Let me tell you why. 

We were fishing with tiny flies in choppy water; my eyesight is not good these days and I was missing every take. Eventually, my guide began to alert me when a trout moved under the fly by quietly murmuring, “fish.” When I raised the tip of my rod there was indeed a trout on my line. 

I’ve often thought about that guide, the occasion and the great and mysterious opportunities that come our way each day, not to catch fish, but men and women, boys and girls. All day long folks circle around us, endlessly cruising, searching for that elusive “something” that will satisfy the hunger of their souls—all represent occasions to show compassion and understanding in Jesus’ name—opportunities you and I might miss if not alerted. 

May the Great Angler, who knows every heart, whisper “fish” in our ears all day long (Luke 5:9).

David Roper

5.11.19

All through this day, O Lord,

Let me touch as many lives as possible for you... 

      through the life that I live,

      the words that I speak, and

      the prayers that I breath,

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen