If there was one thing we did regularly during our week in Iowa, it was fishing. My kids love water, so I knew it was going to be fun, possibly messy, and we might all leave smelling, well. . . fishy. But sitting on those banks and watching my children learn to cast a line and wait patiently for the trout to bite, I thought of a few lessons to be applied to life. Like Flint Lockwood in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, you might say, "I don't understand fishing metaphors!", but I'll do my best to break them down.
1. When seeking the best location, find a good guide.
We would have been lost without my Dad this week. He took us to the perfect trout stream where the water was cool, the shadows were long, and the fish were abundant. Without him to show us the way, we never would have caught our full potential.
Likewise in life, don't we all need that person of experience and wisdom? Call it a mentor, parent, spouse, or friend, we want someone who has gone before us to proclaim that the best is up ahead and the bounty is plentiful.
2. Learning to cast requires patience and practice.
The night Graham taught Maddox how to cast out a line, her initial motions were slow and unsuccessful. It wasn't until she got the concept that casting is all done in the wrist that she began to improve and her hook hit the water instead of the ground behind her.
In life, it's easy to take the back seat. To let someone lead the way and step in at the last moment to reap the reward. But until we learn for ourselves the work behind the gain, we can never fully experience victory.
3. If the water is clear, you may not get a bite.
The first night we arrived at the trout stream, the water was crystal clear. We could see that the stream was loaded with trout, but the problem was they could see us too. We came up shorthanded that evening. But after a good rain the next day, we came back to a murkier fishing hole where the bounty under the surface was promised, yet harder to detect. That night we caught our limit.
As in life, when the way seems crystal clear because of our own best made plans, we may not be fully living into the future intended for us. There is wisdom in allowing the water to muddy up a bit. Learning to live with less clarity helps us press in on the source of our life's plan. "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21 Let's resolve to plan less and pull up deep and greater treasures, one by one.
4. When wading into the water, you might get wet.
Despite their rain boots and instructions not to wade in too far, my three water babies couldn't help themselves. I suppose getting wet helped to solidify the experience of going to the stream and although it brought them some discomfort, it also brought a lot of joy.
Sometimes to get the full experience in life, we have to be willing to get our hands dirty and our feet wet. To take risks. Accept challenges. And realize that though we may not be pretty when we reach the other side, we will have learned some valuable lessons along the way.
5. You've got to live with your catch.
On the night we caught our fill, those fish came home with us. But they couldn't be neglected, not even for a day. Long after the children were in bed, my dad and Graham were up cleaning fish. Thankfully Mom forgot to cook them up for breakfast the next morning. (I'm not really a trout-in-the-morning kind of girl).
The age old adage warns, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it!" The people, places, and things put under our charge have to be tended to and cared for and protected. Be it our children, our jobs, or our homes, we bear the responsibility to live with our "catch" and choose gratitude. After all, we can't curse and bless at the same time. I think I'll try thanks.
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