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Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Fishing (06/07/04)
TITLE: WE’VE CAUGHT A BIG FISH!
By Angela Williams
06/13/04
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Once upon a time, as all good stories start, a prominent man in a community attended a fiery local church. The man was convicted by the stirring message and when the altar call was made, he stumbled to the front with tears in his eyes. As he knelt penitently, and accepted the Lord, an over-zealous brother began to pray for him. He prayed thus:

“We’ve caught a big fish tonight Lord; scale him, gut him and prepare him for processing.” He continued in that vein for a while but when he opened his eyes, the big fish was long gone, having been scared away by the graphic description of the processing.

The story may be funny, but being “fishers of men” is a serious business. A good fisherman knows that preparation is key to success. He must have a strong rod or net, and the bait must be alluring. Fishing also takes patience. You have to be prepared to spend time, sometimes without much success.

The difference with “men fishing” is that no fish is too small. The aim is to keep all and throw back none! While other fishermen catch fish to consume them, we do so to prevent them from being consumed. We give them a future and a hope.

God has given us the tools to do a good job but we have to be diligent. Preparation in the Word of God is crucial, since there are sharks and stingrays that have excellent defence mechanisms. They may be physically bigger and stronger but the Word is quick, powerful and sharp. Patience cannot be over-emphasized because some fish live in very deep waters where no sun can reach them. Many times their eyesight is poor or non-existent. We will have to take time to reach them with love and reel them in. Probably the hardest thing about “men fishing” is that we cannot tell those fish stories when, with each telling, the fish gets bigger and bigger. It is not something to brag about! We have been given a commission and it is just our “reasonable service.”