Fisher of Men Day 362

Matthew 4:18-19  As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

 In the early morn, as the sun peeked through the trees in the east, more than 100 fishermen and women prepared to cast off, for the 3rd Cat Fish Tournament on the Bohemia River.   Scotman`s Creek was alive with energy and excitement, as the 8:00AM start time approached. There was an air of secrey as coolers containing bait, which might land the biggest catfish, were loaded onto boats of all sizes.  Of course, there were coolers of beer and some hard stuff, for the captains and crew to enjoy; drinking and fishing seem to go hand in hand, at least in Earleville.  Five  and a half years ago, I would have also celebrated the day with several drinks, Father God, thank you for the gift of sobriety!  I wonder if the fishermen in Jesus` day also tipped a few?

What a beautiful picture perfect fall day, thank you God!  Aside from the delight of this fantastic day, the fisher folks were also competing for big bucks! The $10 entry fee, per person would be divided 8 ways to provide considerable winning pots for the biggest cat fish.   After 6 hours of fishing, the anglers would return to the dock for the official weigh-in.   Not to mention a feast, consuming the fresh catch of the day, and other delicious goodies!

As I enjoyed hustle and bustle of the morning, I prayed silently that God would protect the fishermen and their crafts and allow their safe return.   However, I did find the time to pray with one fisherman personally, Chuckie Matthew.  Not really sure why, we were both in just the right spot at just the right time.  Probably, a God-thing and I obeyed!  As I approached Chuckie, and reached for his hands and offered to pray, he was a little hesitate, to say the least.  "Now you probably just jinked me!"  Unwilling to accept Chuckie`s negative comment, I maintained great faith in God and prayer.

After hours of fishing and several beers, Chuckie`s attitude changed about prayer when he collected $200 for captaining the boat that caught the most catfish!  He was happy to share with others the fact that I had taken care of him, with early morning prayer.  I didn`t pray that Chuckie would win, I just prayed for blessings and safety; I love it when God shows off her His glory.  Did I just receive one of my favorite God-winks?

Later in the day, Chuckie shared that he really believes in prayer, but God never seems to answer!   With the seeds that where planted today, perhaps it will open the window of opportunity for Chuckie  and I to continue this conversation.  Father God, I pray for my friend Chuckie and his family, especially his son; and I pray that you will open Chuckie`s heart and soul to truly receive the gifts of your mercy and grace.  John 1:16  From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.

For the next cat fishing tournament I`m thinking of setting up a prayer station!  Any takers????  My hubby, Rick is in the blue tee shirt and Chuckie in right behind him, in the chamo jacket!  Amen.