Hang the sign, son

“Hang the sign, son”

I sit here pondering what I might do, given time. My mind races to one of the most relaxing things I can think of, fishing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a great fisherman who catches trophies no matter what he does or where he goes. On the contrary, I rarely catch fish I can keep, if I catch fish at all. I don’t go for the fish, I go for the rest it brings me and the fun.

My two boys, four and two, have already decided they like fishing with daddy, probably just because it is with daddy. My oldest has been fishing with me once, but the youngest hasn’t even seen a pole, let alone fish. No, they just want time with daddy, so I try to plan that time.

In my pondering, though, I wonder if that is what Jesus was offering us when He said that He would make us fishers of men. Well, He didn’t mention you and I, exactly, but the principal behind it is relevant for us today. He wants to make us fishers of men, that’s our great command, in a nutshell.

Yet, think on this for a moment. When you fish, you have time to think, to contemplate your surroundings. You even have the time to see what God has created and to stand in wonder at His creation. You have the ability to enjoy all He has to offer in the great outdoors.

Why is it any different when you “fish” for men? You get to start with time in prayer, which should probably never end. This is your time to contemplate your creator, to think and meditate on Him. Then you go out, to begin to “fish”, this is really when the fun starts. You get to spend time with His creation, seeing His awesome work and enjoy His artwork. You get to share the love He placed in you with others and then, at times, you actually get to reel one in, bring it all the way to shore. Just like with fishing, however, all of the ones that “got away” really just got fed, but with His word, which never comes back void.

So, I have decided that even though my boys and I will probably go fishing soon, I will also try to teach them how to fish for even bigger fish. I will teach them how to hang the sign on the front door to let everyone know that we have gone fishing. I will also teach them that it is alright to just feed the fish, as it is the Holy Spirit who actually reels them in, not us. My boys will be fishers of men.