The Fishing Hole

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. Mark 1:17

As a teenage boy going up in a small community, I recall a gentleman who lived in our neighborhood that might have been considered a bit eccentric, but then, cannot almost every community boast at least one such character? He was pretty rough around the edges, and to describe him as unrefined would be an understatement. He was definitely not a man to try and impress anyone. His clothes were not always the cleanest, nor was his language of purest quality. Due to his “eccentricities”, many would not stop and give him the time of day.  

Although I cannot say that I thoroughly enjoyed the “colorful” way with which he would express himself, I found him to be intriguing, and actually very wise in many aspects of life. In fact, he would say things that would make you stop and go, hmmm! He made one such statement that has stayed with me throughout the years. A little while back, this wise maxim from years ago, was brought to the forefront of my mind. I’ll touch on that a little later on.

First let me say that this gentleman mentioned earlier, was an avid fisherman. He fished every day, literally. He would set his lines on the way into work and then check them on his way back home; but unlike most of those who thought themselves to be true fishermen; he fished the small tributaries, or creeks, as we called them. Some of these little trickles of water a man could step across without stretching his legs, but the old gentleman would walk these streams until he would find a hole deep enough for his prey to hide in and would bring out some of the most beautiful fish I have ever seen.

I was driving one day when I saw him climbing up the bank of one of these little streams. In his hand was a largemouth bass that had to be at least a three pounder. I pulled over to see his catch. As he walked up to the car, he held this fish up high while grinning from ear to ear. After he had made his way to the rolled down window of my car, he lowered the fish to his side, then leaning over and bracing himself with his forearm at the base of the window, he made the statement I earlier mentioned.

He said, “Sammy, I watch these people going up and down these roads every day, pulling their big boats on the way to the big man-made lakes, trying to catch the biggest and best fish. They don’t have a clue that they are driving across hundreds of the best fishing holes in the country”.

I chuckled as I thought of how true this statement was and how most of those he was talking about in their big boats would never believe he was actually pulling fish, like the one he was holding in his hand, from a tiny creek.

You might ask, “Where is he going with this”? Please bear with me.

A few weeks ago, a dear elderly friend of mine visited with us for our Sunday morning service. He met me at the back door after the benediction and pulled me aside. He made a statement that I seemed to have heard before. Only this time the topic was not fishing. However, it was still uncanny how close the two were in nature. Listen to the statement he made and see why the old fisherman came to mind.  

He said, “Sammy, every Sunday people are driving up and down these roads going to the large man-made churches, trying to find peace in their lives and for their souls. They don’t know that they are driving past some of the best churches in the country”.

 He went on to say, “Many of the smaller churches like this one are still trying to worship Christ. Many of the big places are only trying to fill the pews by offering the excitement of entertainment and motivational speeches designed to make men and women feel good about themselves, all the while Christ is left out of the picture.

I guess my point is this: Whether fishing for bass or for men; never be deceived into thinking that these can only be found in the biggest lakes or in the largest congregations. Also, keep in mind that wisdom can come from some of the most simple of statements spoken by some of the most simple of men.

Listen carefully to what is being said! Many nuggets of gold are found in the muddiest of waters. And always remember:

 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11