Fishing in the Rain

I fish when I can.

One day last week, my buddy and I had the day off, so we decided to go fishing. Now, we knew it was supposed to rain, but it's rained most days this June and we both had the day off during the week. That opportunity doesn't arise very often, so we were going to take advantage, come what may. When you are a fisherman, you fish when you can.

And then came the rain . . .

We got on the water just after day break. It was a beautiful calm morning, the lake was quiet, it was great. We didn't catch many fish to start with, but that was not a big deal. We were having fun. And then came the rain. Buckets, sheets, torrents of rain. But with the rain, came the fish. And when the fish are biting . . . you fish.

We fished through the storm, laughing the whole time about how crazy it was. We had to pump water out of the boat several times. It wasn't dangerous, because there was no wind or (hardly) any lightning. It was just wet. And man was it wet! We got over 2.5 inches of rain that morning. And we caught a really nice mess of fish. You see, you fish when you can, and when the fish are biting, you stay, come storm or high water.

The life lesson . . .

You see it, I'm sure, the lesson here, the metaphor. Opportunities in life come around unexpectedly, whether it is an opportunity at work, with your family, or with friends. Opportunities to be a fisherman, a fisherman of men. Opportunities to talk about God and His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. And when those opportunities come, we should take advantage.

Often times those opportunities are going to come in the midst of a storm, a tragedy, a trial or struggle. It will not be the most comfortable circumstances, but sometimes it can be the most productive. When the rains of life pour down, people are hungry for the truth, the comfort, the reality that is God. They are, in a sense, biting. That can be the best time to fish.

Don't be afraid to fish in the rain.

If we had been scared off by the weather report that day, we would have missed a great day of fishing and friendship. The next day was beautiful and sunny. I went to the same lake, the same places we caught fish in the rain, and caught nearly nothing. You see, the fish weren't biting. Maybe it was the rain, maybe not. All I know is I caught fish in the rain, and nothing when the skies were clear. Take from that what you will.

There are people in your life right now who are going through storms. People who need to be "caught." Don't be afraid to go fishing. You might get skunked, but then again, you just might get the catch of a lifetime. You'll never know if you don't wet a line.