While I was sitting on a dock fishing with my cousin, my
brother approached and emphatically exclaimed, “Julie, there is a fish right
there,” and he pointed into the shallow water behind me. He continued to point at
and tell me about this fish until I cast my line into the water in that area.
The water was filled with algae and weeds and I really didn’t see a fish but I
did see what looked like it might be a fish. Therefore, I let him tell me where
to guide my line. It’s right there. Just
a little lower. Over a little. Interest
in the fish grew and my cousin and husband came over to check it out. After glancing into the water, my husband then
graciously informed me that I was trying to catch a dead fish. Yes, go ahead
and laugh and stamp a big “gullible” on my forehead but fortunately for me, the
story doesn’t end there.
Later, my husband, brother and I took the boat out to go
fishing. We all caught some fish but I caught three times as many as they did.
At one point, my brother put his line in the water where I was fishing and
being a tad cocky I said, “Fine, I’ll just fish on the other side of the boat.”
I cast my line and reeled in another fish.Vindicated by circumstances I started to say, “I
can catch fish dead or alive.” For
clarification though, I actually didn’t catch the dead fish, I only tried to
catch the dead fish.
So, who in their right mind would try to catch a dead fish
and why and how? To that I say, “Once
you know how to catch a dead fish you can catch any fish you want…if you know
the secret.”
Why catch a dead fish? They pollute the water. They can’t
sustain life, help the living or do anything but be dead and decompose.
Who should catch dead fish? All those who believe in God. As Christians, we are called to be fishers of
men. Dead fish cause the most harm; they are the persecutors, the thieves, the
haters and they seek to destroy our faith. They are dead in the water. They do not know, understand or accept that they are also children of our God. Our God
loves them and wants them to be resurrected in Him. If there is hope, and I believe there is, that
by an intercession of love and prayers they can come to understand and know our
Lord, then we must try to catch the dead fish.
Obviously, catching
live fish is good, too and I must say catching live fish is easier. These are the
people who demonstrate and live a life of kindness, love, peace and hope. These
are the people who are good at dying to themselves and letting God act through
them and for them. From these people we
are nourished and fed and our faith grows.
So, how do we catch fish, dead or alive? As I sat in the
boat, fishing with my brother and my husband, I was praying. However, I wasn’t
praying to catch fish. I was praying prayers of gratitude. I was thankful to be
with my family, on a beautiful lake, on a beautiful day. Also, knowing that we needed to have two
meals of fish for several people, I prayed trusting that we would have enough
fish for those meals. My prayers were
answered. We had enough fish and then some and we had a beautiful and enjoyable
vacation with family.
Am I gullible and perhaps silly for trying to catch dead
fish? Yes. Am I going to stop trying to catch dead fish? Probably not. Will you
join me? There are Christians being martyred and persecuted right now. Let us
pray not only for them but for a Saul to Paul like conversion for their
persecutors. Let them see Christ in the
martyrs. Let them convert and become great evangelists for our Lord. Let them
rise from the dead and be live fish, caught in our nets of prayer.
The secret to catching fish, dead or alive, is prayer. Please pray with me.
Peace!
Julie
References, insights and other things to consider:
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