 | Mr. Jones is fine Christian Gentleman who Loves Jesus with all his heart. His Love of Fly fishing is second only to his God and his family. |
| Mr. Jones is fine Christian Gentleman who Loves Jesus with all his heart. His Love of Fly fishing is second only to his God and his family. |
I think that it was John the Baptist who once said, and this might not be an exact quote, "If you¹re going to get into the water, you¹re going to have to get wet." I myself am not exactly sure what this means, but it just sounded too good to not include it here. God gives to some to be Prophets, and some to be Teachers, and to some, Deacons. God has something for each and everyone of us. For those of us who were baptized in the river (and kept our eyes open looking for fish), Well, we were given to be fly fishers.
Perhaps you have only recently received the call to become a fly fisher- BUT- you feel unworthy. Brothers and Sisters- GOD HAS ENOUGH MERCY FOR ALL OF US! Use the gifts that God has for each of us and REPENT of worm-dunking and bass fishing (actually, you can get a special dispensation for fly fishing for bass, but that will be covered later).
Let us assume that you are responding to the call. Remember this- "Many are called, but few are chosen." Before you run down to the river and jump in and drown, you should understand that you must first make a commitment to follow the chosen path. A good foundation is the result of good instruction. The best witness is to live your life in such a manner as to cause those around you to be curious as to where your gifts are from. Does not the Good (fishing) Book ask: --- of what profit is a casting stroke that resembles a conductor trying to conduct a herd of drunken Rhino¹s at the Ice Capades? The path of Good Casting requires discipline. Patience is also a virtue of the Clean Caster. Anyone seeing a knot in a fly line the size of a basketball will realize this. Making good use of the things God hath provided means that you may not cut the fly line, as it is expensive and cutting destroys the line! Diligence is another quality that the Good Caster must have. Satan lives in every bush and tree that is just out of reach of the fly fisher. Relax thy back cast but a moment and thy fly shall be plucked from thy line in a heartbeat, and thou shalt curse the bush forever.
Seeking refuge in a quiet place (a good Church works for this) to reflect and untie those knots that come into our lives from time to time, along with some good solid (casting) instruction will be much needed. Fellowship with others is required to spread fishing "Parables". The use of the word "Parables" is a sort of loose adaptation concerning the witnessing of "fishing experiences". To the unsaved, I have heard them referred to as "fishing lies". But among those of us who were chosen, we sometimes use "Parables" to illustrate things such as the size of the victory (or even the fish perhaps). Be sure that you understand the REAL message behind each Parable before rushing to any conclusions. A reference to "GOD¹S MERCY" could be good at this point.
O.K. Good! You¹ve gotten the call, and you have , in faith, placed your foot on the path. Now comes the first of many mysteries. To the fishing store, right? Wrong! Remember this:"A wise man seeks much counsel." Before your Holy Quest can begin in earnest, You had best be checking in with The Head Counselor of Personal Quests- Your lovely SPOUSE! Failure to do so can result in your being witness to a Miracle! Your spouse, being instantly anointed by the Spirit, might be able to perform the Miracle of transforming your brand new fly rod into many more pieces than it was when you brought it home! While Miracles ARE wondrous, I feel that there are times when it is best to not bring attention to ones self. I don¹t know why, but being caught with an unexplained fly rod in the house is one of those mysteries. Quoting Parables over dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in your village is a saner approach. A Gentle spirit is one of the gifts given to the fly fisher, and it is a wise person who would cultivate that exact same quality in a mate. The other possibility is that you might try the "Multitudes" approach, as in "WE should make this journey as one" and " A wise man gets a better discount on two complete outfits" (do not try this one on the store clerk). Miracles DO happen, you know.
I must go now, Brothers and Sisters, as the LORDS work is never ending, and I have much water yet to
cover before I get to the Never Ending River. Remember to always be true to your spirit, and, as it is never a good idea to seek glory for one¹s self, do not mention me by name to your spouse when starting this journey. Please.
SBG
Please E-Mail John and Ask him Questions
