THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

How many times have you been fishing and you set the hook on a huge lunker, or get the monster buck in your sites, maybe a job interview you felt went really well, or your child tried out for their dream team, but it didn't come through? The fish got off, the buck snuck away, the job didn't develop, or your child didn't make the team. We may feel like we did everything right and it still didn't transpire the way we wanted. I have had many missed opportunities outdoors and by many I mean waaay too many to count, like the needles on a pine tree.  

One opportunity that I can still picture vividly was during a recent fly fishing outing. Fly fishing is fairly new to me. A friend of mine got me hooked after he brought me to his secret fishing spot and I've sworn to keep it that way. It's a beautiful location. One bank of the stream is open and grassy, which is perfect for a beginner who is at high risk of snagging overhead branches and tangling the line around itself which I didn't think was possible until I did it several times. The other bank of the stream is a tree covered hill side casting shadows in all the right spots. During one of our first trips out I was working my way down the stream casting a Woolly Bugger (the Woolly Bugger is a fly that looks like a caterpillar with fluffy tail, yummy). While working from one pool and through some rapids to the next pool it happened; the line pulled tight and a big beautiful brown trout rocketed out of the water glistening in the sunlight creating a vision that will last in my memory forever. The trout pulled hard on the fly taking control of the situation. It blasted out of the water two more times before releasing the Woolly Bugger back to me. My heart quickly sank as the adrenaline still pumped through my veins. Standing on the bank with my head down and maybe a tear running down my check and reliving the moment in my head my friend walked up and said "nice LDR", "LDR?" I asked, "Long Distance Release" he replied. Long Distance Release sounds so much better than the one that got away.

Photo Credit: telegraph.co.uk

So many times in life we think about the one that got away. What could've we done differently? If only I practiced harder, studied more, done more research, had better equipment, or wore a different outfit to the interview. Something I recently learned is that it's all in God's time, not ours. He has us right where He wants us. Tomorrow He may want us somewhere else and He'll put us there, but it’s His plan. One has to spend time with God in order to get an understanding of where He wants us. Sometimes we may miss the first opportunity He gives us, but He always forgives us and gives second chances. Even though I want a second chance at that trout, it may not be God's plan.

Proverbs 3:5-6

BUT THE GREATEST OF ALL THESE IS LOVE

With Valentine’s Day just a few days past, I'd like to write about my wife. No, this is not an attempt to make up for a lame Valentine’s Day gift or some screwball mistake I made or will make. Because even though all of those have been true and probably will be true again, it's to share how blessed I am to have her.

It was the 4th of July 1987 when we first met, yes the fireworks started right from the beginning. She had the BIG rocking 80's hair, and I loved it. Being a 16 year old boy at that time, the physical attraction was immediate. “Boy” is the correct description, because it took a long time to get close to even become a young man. We did go through some very rocky times early on and at many other times over the years, but she knew we were meant to be together. Her intuition was, and still is, very genuine. It took a very long time for me to mature into the man she knew I was destined to be. I am continuously working on that and very glad she has never given up on me. She has shown me how it feels to be loved unconditionally. Thank you God!

Being an outdoorsman and raised in a family that camped a lot, I thought my wife and I should go camping. My wife was raised in a family that didn’t camp. That statement alone should give you an idea of where this is going. Our first trip was a canoe and camp situation with another couple, not the best idea for her first trip. The other couple were friends of ours and way better campers than us. The plan was to jump in our canoes Friday after work, canoe down the river and find our first camp site, and we did. However, it was infested with mosquitoes because it was basically a swamp! You could hear the mosquito’s dive bombing your head all night; yes we were in a tent, a crummy one to say the least. The next night was in a perfect camp site overlooking the river. That night it started to rain…a lot. The crummy tent leaked...a lot. She started to cry at some point. Not a great moment for this “outdoorsman”. Thankfully, the days were beautiful and we made it through the weekend. After arriving home, I immediately bought a new tent, and remarkably, she still loved me.

Fast forward several years and two sons later when we decided to take a camping trip to Minnesota’s North Shore (a very beautiful place). We were all looking forward to it. The first night it started to rain…a lot, of course, and the “new” tent (now 15 years old) started to leak...a lot. But this time we were better prepared: 1-we weren’t canoeing, meaning we weren't stuck on an island,  2-we had a SUV as an option to sleep in, and 3-our love was even stronger than before. So, somewhere around 3:30am, we deserted the crummy tent and sprawled out our sleeping bags in the SUV. But instead of crying, there was laughter and we had hilarious, goofy conversations until the sun came up, at which time we drove to town and had breakfast. Ahhh civilization.

This pretty much sums up the tents

The outside influences were the same during both situations, but the way we were affected by them was dramatically different because our love had greatly matured. The true love of a mother and wife is a very powerful force, and our family is truly blessed to have hers.

 

1 Corinthians 13:13

 

 

 

PROTECT YOUR ROOTS

I have been blessed with the opportunity of countless outdoor experiences, which have given me lots of time to think about life and more recently, my faith. Some people look at hours in a tree stand, ground blind, or trolling in a boat as boring. That has never been the case for me; I have never regretted spending time outdoors. What comes to mind during the solitude? My wife does...a lot, our sons, the dog, family, friends, faith, and sometimes work, but not very often.

 

Spending so much time surrounded by trees or admiring them from the water recently brought a realization about how much they are an illustration of our lives. Each one is unique, like each one of us, whether it's the purpose they serve, their appearance or ability to weather a storm. For example, roots can grow in rocks, sand, and of course, well fertilized soil. In order to really grow and support the rest of the tree, they need fertile soil that nourishes their growth and adds to their strength. Roots can't grow deep or build a strong foundation in rocky soil. Roots can grow deep in sandy soil, but they can be easily pulled up when the winds are strong enough. Roots thrive in well nourished and fertile soil, growing deep and strong. When the roots are as big as the tree above ground, almost nothing can take it down. Some branches may break, limbs may twist, and leaves may blow away, but the tree will weather any storm.

 

Photo Credit: shakyphotography.com

Photo Credit: myclimatechangegarden.com

 

For us humans, if we let everything else get bigger than our roots, we are asking for trouble. When our roots, more specifically our roots of faith, are well nourished and allowed to grow and strengthen, we too can weather any storm. Spending time with God is critical to make sure our roots are strong. Allowing the right people to nourish them also strengthens them. Some of our branches may break, limbs may twist and leaves may blow away, but we'll still be standing. Imagine what life would be like if our faith was as big as everything else in life.  

 

Matthew 13: 3-9, 24-30

 



GROW YOUR ROOTS

As children our roots start to grow before we have any idea of how important they are and will be to us. Parents, religious leaders, teachers, and coaches are some of the people who nourish that process.

  

Dad taught us incredible work ethic. He worked several jobs when our family was starting to sprout, making sure there was a roof over our heads and food on the table. He also taught us to work hard, intellectually and physically....with four boys, it was mostly physical. Faith was also a foundation for our family. My grandparents lived with great faith. When grandpa was too ill to make it to church, grandma would bring communion home for him.  Working hard and having faith was the example of my youth. At our house we said grace before meals and went to church on a regular basis.

 

Imagine sitting in church and these four boys come walking down the aisle.

 

We'll be quiet...honest

Odds are if you weren't praying, you probably started praying that we'd pick a spot several pews away because most likely two of us would soon be poking each other, another one would be kicking your seat, and the other was always dropping something.

 

Next, imagine those same boys in a 14 foot fishing boat. Man, talk about patience! It is a miracle all of us still have both eyeballs and no permanently lodged hooks in places they don't belong. To top it all off, we actually caught fish and usually a lot of them! Now, if you've ever launched a boat on a Midwest lake or river, picture the boat access. There's an obvious dock and ramp; what's not so obvious are the trees surrounding it, protecting it, just like dad did for us.