After the day was done, my husband asked me, “What were you most afraid of?”
What a question, huh? It was prompted by a day spent by Greg, Bree, and me on the Toccoa River (pronounced tuh-koa’) fly-fishing. It was mine and Bree’s first experience with the sport, and to say I was nervous about said experience is an understatement. In answer to my husband’s question about what was I most afraid of, I wanted to holler ‘EVERYTHING’. I am a perfectionist control freak. I NEED to be good at everything. Yes, go ahead and laugh. I think I hear God laughing right along with you.
On the front-side of the day, the questions boiled in my mind like a cauldron of bubbling poison, seeking to ruin the whole experience.
What is it like wading through a river?
Will I catch a fish?
And if I do, how in the sam-hill do I get the hook out of it?
What about snakes and critters?
Oh, and how many bathroom breaks would we get…and would I have to pee in the middle of the cornfield?
What if I break the fly rod?
And would I be able to cast the fly rod, and make the line go past the tip of my fingers?
Fly-fishing is an art, and although he never voiced it, I don’t think my excels-at-any-sport husband thought I would be able to cast the fly. Honestly, neither did I. I’m much more comfortable in a library, bookstore, or Williams Sonoma than the trout river. Greg told me later that I did really well casting. That pleased me greatly to be able to surprise and please Greg.
Just as in our journey though this world where the Christ-follower is never left without the Holy Spirit as her guide, so it is in a morning of guided fly-fishing. In those four hours there were so many opportunities to see the bigger picture of life painted right there on the river. May I share a few?
- We had a guide, Natalie Sharp. She came totally prepared with waders and boots to fit me, a fly rod, many flies, loads of instruction and advice, dryer sheets, a wading staff, a bottle of water, and a pack of crackers. Once I was completely outfitted, I was ready to hit the river. A HUGE plus was having Greg along, who had fly-fished before. Many times in those four hours I thanked the Lord for the two of them. Just like Jesus left the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us, so it was with Natalie and Greg as they showed us how to cast, wade the river, and unhook a fish.
- The river was stunningly beautiful, but treacherous, if you didn’t remember to take baby steps. Wading the river was really difficult, and if you try to move too fast…..well, you end up with your waders full of water. AWKWARD! Thankfully I didn’t fall. When you wade the river, you not only have rocks and holes to navigate, you have to deal with the current coming against you. I was so thankful for my wading staff to keep me steady. When the current of life rushes against us, we have Jesus, and His Word, to keep us steady and on our feet.
- I was constantly on high alert for snakes during the hours on the river. I hate them. I’m terrified of them. I walked cautiously beneath trees and limbs, making sure I scoped out any possible hiding place of serpents before I traveled beneath. Natalie and Greg assured me that snakes are more frightened of me than I am of them. I’ll never believe it in a million years! Terrified is what I am. Satan hides in this world, trying to convince us that he is bigger and badder than anything. He’s not. God trumps Satan any day, at any hour, and in any situation. That doesn’t mean we should ignore Satan. No siree! We must be on guard, and prepared to do battle with him using God’s Word as our weapon.
- I would have been supremely happy just taking in the beauty of the river, enjoying the sound of the water, the sunlight glinting on the water, the smells of nature, and the magnificence of watching Natalie and Greg cast the fly rods. But, that was not what I went to do. I went to learn to fish, and hopefully, one day, land a big one. In life, we are not here on this dusty sod to sit around and enjoy the scenery. We are here to share with the world the gospel of Jesus, the beauty of salvation, and the grace and mercy that comes only by accepting Jesus. We are here to overcome by the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony.
My catch! A beautiful little ‘bow. Picture by Natalie Sharp.
My day of fly-fishing was fun. I loved learning something new…and doing a decent job at it, even if I only caught one little rainbow trout. Just as with fly-fishing, each we time step out for Jesus, we progress a bit and get more comfortable with sharing about Him, until one day we have the privilege of helping someone meet Jesus for the very first time. I’ll probably be back on the river casting a few more flies, learning more casting techniques, and hoping to land a big fish.
