GOOD TIMES

Recently, it was my younger brother’s birthday and his wife wanted to surprise him with new fishing gear and a fishing trip with me. Now, just so you understand, a fishing trip with me means you’ll be in a boat on the water, and odds are there will be fish somewhere in the water.

I get a little anxious when someone wants to fish with me. The reason is because I’m not the best fisherman in world and feel pressure to be a good guide. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve caught plenty of fish in my life. The fish species has ranged from perch to king salmon, on upper Midwest inland lakes to a couple of the Great Lakes. The objective when fishing is to obviously catch whichever species I’m after, but most importantly, to enjoy God’s creation.

It’s important to me for the other person to have a good time. On our recent trip, my brother reminded me that everyone has a different definition of a good time. The plans were all set. I did some research and found a highly recommended nearby lake; so off we went. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in July. The hot summer sun was shining and thankfully there was a strong breeze to keep us cool. We started fishing by a patch of lily pads that was known to hold bass and sunfish. Our set up was simple; a bobber and a plan red hook tipped with a night crawler. It didn’t take long and my brother’s bobber started dancing around and then darted under water. While he was reeling the fish in, I could see it was a small sunfish, so I focused my gaze back at my bobber. Once my brother got the fish in the boat he said with a grin on his face, “my first fish of the year.” It immediately occurred to me what having a “good time” meant to him. We took a quick picture and released the seemingly bigger fish back to the water. It was a really good time with my brother! We changed fishing tactics a few times throughout the day and the fish did get bigger.

 

Sometimes, it feels like we don’t have a lot to offer; you may be surprised how much that means to someone else.

 

 Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you.

 

 



SOMETIMES ONE FEELS 5,000 YEARS OLD

The thought crossed my mind to find out what the oldest tree in the world is…and now you’re probably wondering what it is, too. So, of course, I turned to the internet. The internet is usually pretty reliable; not 100% accurate, but a good place to start. As I starting typing “world’s oldest tree,” pictures of towering Redwoods came to mind.  You know, the huge trees big enough to carve a tunnel through their trunk to fit a car.

Nope, not the Redwood.

Maybe, a majestic oak with its hardwood trunk and branches; surely that could withstand the test of time.

Nope, not the oak either.

Finally, the internet showed the results of the ‘world’s oldest tree”…the bristlecone pine. It wasn’t big and bad like I was expecting; it was twisted and kind of messy looking. The name alone didn’t sound very powerful. Bristlecone, the name seems more fitting for a hair brush. Pine trees are typically a softer wood and don’t usually hold up well to abuse.

However, there it is, the Bristlecone Pine at almost 5,000 years old.

In order to survive tough times in life, one usually thinks of needing to be big and strong, towering with power and poise. That’s not always the case. Yes, there are times when physical strength alone is beneficial.  A few situations that come to mind are dragging a whitetail deer out of the woods, canoeing to a great fishing spot, or opening that jar of salsa.  At the end of the day (or  5,000 years), sometimes we feel a little soft on the inside, need to be a bit more flexible, and even though things look messy at times, that’s where God wants us at the moment.

Matthew 5:7-8 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

 

 

 



KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL, THE PRIZE...WHATEVER YOUR THING IS

At this point, I’m going to take a break from the woods and water and move to the baseball diamond. This time of year my wife and I get to spend a lot of time at the baseball field; baseball is an outdoor activity, so of course that’s a win for me.

 

Both of our sons are avid baseball players. They have tried other sports over the years, but baseball has always been their main focus. I coached our oldest son on and off up through sixth grade and coached our youngest exclusively from t-ball through 7^th grade. Their success and talents were earned on their own. When the boys got old enough to try-out for higher competitive teams, my wife and I told them, “you will make this team on your own merit; we will not pull any strings or do favors to get you on the team.” However, whichever team they made, we would volunteer when we could.

 

Over the years they’ve experienced success and failure; they’ve had really good coaches and really bad coaches. They’ve experienced firsthand the politics of youth sports, but never let any of those affect their passion for the game. Currently, the oldest (19) is on an amateur team and hasn’t won a single game this season. He’s not happy about it, but he still goes to every game and plays his best, and he does it without any hesitation. The youngest (15) is on a VFW sponsored summer league. His team is having a successful season, but he’s not connecting well with the coach. He also goes to every game without hesitation and plays his best. They both do a very good job of staying focused on the big picture and don’t let the negative elements distract them. Yeah, you could say I’m a proud father.

 

What would life be like if we focused on our main objective, the big picture, and not let the negative elements distract us? What would one’s faith be like if we did the same for that as well?

 

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

 



MARKED FOR REMOVAL

The city that I live in is enveloped with many mature trees. There are Oaks, Maples, Elms, and Pines to list a few. When you’re driving down the street, the trees create a beautiful canopy overhead. A few of the nearby streets are also shaded from the large timber. When one of these magnificent trees dies, the city marks it for removal. They are removed for several reasons; the dead braches can break off in a storm and cause injury or property damage, and more importantly they’re removed to prevent bug and animal infestation which can spread to other heathy trees. After removal, the city plants another tree in its place to keep the cycle going with new life. In nature, dead trees are usually blown down by storms and then slowly over many years turn into compost and feed new life.  

It's easy to see how this dead tree stands out. Our dead trees aren't always so obvious to us.

 

Sometimes, we have dead trees in our human life; it may be a person, a job, or a bad habit. Those types of things need to be removed to prevent the spread of unhealthy living. If one allows nature to take its course and wait for the problem to turn into compost, we may never see and enjoy new life. The city has trained professionals and crews who take care of removal and planting of new trees. Don’t think you need to take care of removing these on your own. There are professionals and sometimes good friends that can help with removing dead trees in your life.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it