Fish Tales...

I'm usually a little depressed this time of year. Putting the shotgun in the gun cabinet until next season just does that to me. It's seems like such a long time till we can get the fire power out again in search of furred or feathered critters. However, today something happened that made my heart ache a little less. OK, actually it got me excited! I've never been much of a fisherman, but today that might have changed. There are finned critters out there that offer some excitement too - and today, with the help of someone who know what they were doing, I got to sore-lip a few.
If you want to know where the fish are biting, what they are biting on, what time during the day to go after 'em, what time of year to catch 'em, what fish think about, or anything else to do with a fish the man to talk to is Tony Sharum (pictured above). Tony is one of my friends, who just happens to be my Sergeant at work. When Tony is not catching people fishing illegally, dreaming about fish or eating fish, he's on a boat trying to catch fish. It doesn't matter if its bluegill, perch, largemouth, stripers, or catfish...he’s been known to jerk a knot in all their lips. I don't know if I've ever met someone who loves to fish as much as he does. Today, I had the opportunity to hit the lake with Tony and learn a few things about catching largemouth bass.
And what a time we had...We caught so many fish that the boat nearly sank. Fish were so massive that they were actually pulling the boat around the lake. We must have landed a couple hundred and quite possibly a state record or two. In fact, I caught the biggest bass I’ve ever caught at 12 and a half pounds...did I say 12 and a half, I really meant 5 and a half pounds. Well, that may be stretching the truth a little – but any story about fishing has got to have some “truth-stretching” in it. Truth be told we literally caught fish from the time we got to the lake till the time we left. I had a blast...thanks Tony.
I was thinking on the way home about fishing in the Bible and recalled the story of Jesus and Peter on the Sea of Galilee. Peter was a fisherman by trade and had been out fishing all night without any luck. Imagine how that would feel – breaking your back at work and coming home with no pay check to show for it. When Peter came in from working all night and was cleaning his fishing nets, Jesus got in his boat and asked Peter to take him out a ways so he could preach to the gathering crowds. After Jesus had finished preaching, Jesus told Peter to cast out the nets again in the deep water. After having been out all night with nothing to show for it Peter reluctantly did as Jesus said and guess what happened. He caught so many fish that it filled two boats and the weight nearly caused them to sink. Peter and the rest of those around were amazed at this miraculous catch of fish – and awestruck at what Jesus had done.
We often get caught up in just remembering all those “big” things that Jesus did for people - Healing the sick, driving out demons and raising people from the dead and such. But we are reminded in this story that Jesus cares about the daily activities of our lives too. God is interested in not only saving us, but providing for our needs as well - and that’s no fish tale!
The next time you’re a little unsure about how you’re going to make it through something, remember to put your trust in God – like Peter did – and cast the net of your heart into the deep hope and love that Christ offers. You might be surprised at how much you catch.

“...they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”
Luke 5:6