Fish with Full Bellies

We gathered for a very special persons birthday. They live out in the country and have a stocked tank for fishing. This is the first place I ever went fishing. It was when I was in a place of crisis and this special person was the friend I needed even if I didn’t want it. Here I was again, a nice cool night with her family all around and I was invited. I was a part of this yet kept myself on the edge. I wanted to fish but it was a popular activity so I stayed to myself. I know its funny to hear but the girl from the ghetto found something relaxing about the monotony of throwing bait into this water and waiting to see if any fish would bite. The country sky and bright stars with a cool breeze definitely helped with that.

But then there was a lesson to learn . . . always. Next to the tank was a feeder full of fish food. Throughout the party people would set it to go off to bait fish over to where they were fishing. Some had luck and caught or almost caught fish. I guess that’s part of the game of fishing. I would guess that in this short span of time the fish had more food just handed over to them than they get in an average day and maybe even span of days. They were having their own party. By the time I made it over to join my 89-year-old friend in fishing nothing was biting. I mean nothing. Now that probably wouldn’t have meant much if it were just me fishing because I have no idea what I am doing but this grandma was known to wrangle the fish and she was coming up with nothing. She couldn’t believe it! I chuckled a little when I realized the fish were teaching me a lesson. About life, about God and about what we fill ourselves with.

Simply put, why would the fish need to go after a nibble of bait on a hook when they had their fill all evening long on risk free fish food? Now one can look at this in different ways but I would start with the aspect of God.  If we fill our bellies with counterfeit things when the high quality comes a long we have no appetite for it. At the same time, however, if we keep our fill of the quality things, for example God, we wont be tempted by the delectable looking but life threatening morsels that are thrown our way. I would venture to say that the same goes for other aspects of our lives. Some things may come easier but they could be of lesser quality. And if we fill our bellies with things that are less than good for us, when the better things come, we are too full to partake of them. So satisfy yourself with the good and avoid the bad.  Keep your focus and appetite in the right place and life will be better, more fulfilling and more safe!