It’s not just about the fish

Today, Yanna and I spent the day with my dad. We dug holes, peeled pizza boxes off of cement, cut the grass, and of course he took us fishing.

Pause. Let’s go back for a minute.

Yanna is my 12-year-old niece. She really thinks she’s fifty-five and a half most days, and speaks in a language I do not understand using the words “lit” and “gucci” to just name a couple. She has always been very entertaining. I would like to tell you about her so here it is. Yanna came in my life very unexpectedly. You see, I waited a whole nine months for the other nieces and nephews to arrive. This girl, though, was a huge blessing from the time I met her. We became inseparable. She lived with us, and we spent every summer together. Mainly arguing about how we were not watching Sleeping Beauty again (guess who won that one), or how many times we could say to each other how much we did not care what we ate. Where I went, she went. Where I stayed, she stayed. Even in my addiction. Ten years of her life, I took her to places she did not need to be and people she did not need to be around. I moved away from her hoping that would make it better only to return worse. I put her through it, and this last time I thought she was forever out of my life. I was not the only one who was bruised and broken when I arrived at Moriah House even though I thought I was. I had a list of people who I hurt, and she was at the top. Through this year I have prayed for God to make it better. I did not just pray for Him to heal her heart, but I prayed for Him to work a miracle out of it. He did. I know He did, because she’s sitting over there in that chair right now smacking her gum and singing some random song no one knows. For that, I am thankful even when she makes me listen to the Little Drummer Boy on repeat. God has restored so many relationships in my life, and she is one of them.

Ok, now we may move forward. Press play.

Today we went fishing which was the highlight of my day. No, I am not a fisherman. No, I do not take a book to read. Yes, I only care when the fish are biting. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I caught some fish. Four to be exact. I know what you are thinking and to answer your thoughts…yes, I did name them. It did not matter that hurricane winds were at large or that my little thing that floats (I think we call that a bobber) would not do right most of the time. Even when I had to fight the wind to get my line in the water still the only thing that mattered was when the floaty bobber thing went under. That is when I knew there was something on the other end. I wonder if it was windy that time Peter and the boys went fishing and caught nothing. Or what their conversation was like all night long. They had just witnessed Jesus’ death, and His Resurrection. So, I bet their conversation if any (I do not know if real fishermen conversate) was all about their best friend Jesus. Sure enough, in the morning there was Jesus asking if they had caught any fish, and when their reply was no He told them to cast to the other side. What happens next? You guessed it! There were so many fish they could not lift the net. I know we’re talking about fish right now, but I love the next part when they realize who this man was. Peter jumped out of that boat so fast to meet his friend on the shore. You know when your best friend comes to town, and you are so excited? Yeah, that is Peter times a million. Anyway, I’m trying to get to the point, because I do have one. Today, during my intense staring at the bobber that most of the time was floating, I realized two things I would like to share.

1. I want to always fellowship with my Jesus
2. I still really do need a fishing hat

There is hope, my friends, even in the windiest of days. Just hold on to your britches or your hat in this case, because soon the wind will die down and the calm will settle in. Who is our calm? That is Jesus.

Our peace.

Our hope.

“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.” Psalm 63:1-2