Then he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 NLT

Way back in 1968, the stone age to many of you, Ken received his military discharge following eight years of service; one in Iceland, three in Germany, and four all across the US. After growing up with New England winters and experiencing a lot of cold weather at his various military assignments, he was convinced he wanted to settle in a warmer climate. And since some of his siblings had already migrated to Florida, he decided that would be the ideal spot for him. He landed in Tampa for a while, but scouting and his varied travels had convinced him that he was no longer a city boy, so he made the move slightly north to Brooksville, which was a lot smaller at that time than it is today. In fact, most of Florida still had a quieter, easier way of living. Walt Disney had not yet brought the “mouse” to central Florida that transformed the area into the tourist mecca that we all recognize. Produce stands still dotted the roadsides, selling their wares at ridiculously low prices. And housing was really affordable.

One more thing that Ken really loved about his chosen home was that most days, after work, he could stop by the house, pick up his fishing gear, and head to the beach or pier. He never knew what he might catch, and it didn’t matter. After a lifetime of eating things that swam, he never allows fish, shellfish, or any other swimming creature to touch his plate. He fishes for the pure joy of the catch or even the discovery of something unexpected at the end of his line. He loves the challenge of landing a particularly crafty fish, but he is just as happy reeling in one little sunfish after another. And those fish can trust him to let them live to swim another day, unless a new acquaintance on the beach would like to take them home for supper.

The key to his enjoyment of Florida fishing in those bachelor days was the ease with which it occurred. All his gear could be left out, right where he could get to it easily, no one nagging him to put it out of sight, and he could be quickly on his way.

Fast forward to 1983 when I met him, and fishing wasn’t even on his radar. As a single dad with two kids in tow and a scout troop clamoring for his attention, he barely had time to work… just kidding. He did a great job of managing Missouri’s beautiful state parks. But even when we moved to Montauk, a very busy trout fishing park, he just didn’t find the challenge tempting. (He did, however, enjoy casting his fly rod there once he had retired.) Even when we moved on to Bennett Spring, Ken did not engage in fishing. By that time, he was concerned that the public might see his spending time on the riverbank as inappropriate for the park superintendent.

I do, however, recall a few times during our marriage when he really enjoyed fishing. One was a visit to the quiet side of the Smoky Mountains where he caught and released wild, native trout. He spent many hours on that river, and it offered him deep relaxation as he was making a job transition. The other occurred while he managed Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. A family named Rockefeller came to do some serious trout fishing. The guides were all occupied with adult fisherpeople, but there was a boy around eight years old who wanted to fish as well. No one had time for him, nor experience working with kids, so Ken took him. And a boy who was rambunctious and a bit unruly according to his adult people became enchanted with fishing because someone took the time to be with him and offer instructions. He caught his first fish, and he was, shall we say… “hooked?”

The call clearly remains the same…to be fishers of men.

That’s kind of how it is with people. When we take some time and show a little interest in them, we show them how to be like Jesus. We catch a lot more people with the gifts of our time, our kindness, and our love, one human for another, than we would with speeches about how they should live their lives. Just set a Jesus-like example.

Are you willing to let Jesus show you the intricacies of soul fishing? The catch is as slippery as a [Rainbow Trout], but worthy of the spiritual brawn you will cultivate in intimate moments with the Lord.

So, what do you think? Should we polish our Jesus skills and go do a little fishing?

(Quotes, other than scripture, are from God Moments Too, with some paraphrasing.)