Clumps of mud fall off his too-big too-blue gum boots as David carries his "load" of goodies to the middle of the bridge. Gingerly, he places the full pail of tackle he "borrowed" from his dad on the bridge. With this much bait, he'd better catch something good, and he just knew that today was
...his day.
He shrugged off the pressure as he began to tune into the sound of the rushing stream flowing underneath him, and the excited feeling of potential calmed his twisted tummy better than eating a handful of jelly beans.
Pulling the specially selected fishing stick out of his back pocket, he felt guilty for only a brief moment as he pulled a strand of yarn out of his bucket that he had snagged from his grandma's knitting bag. Ahhhh...beautiful bucket...full of...
worms.
Adventure wasn't a word he really knew the definition of, and he didn't know how to spell it either (neither would he have really cared that he couldn't unless his sister kept reminding him)...but he knew he was on one.
A big one.
So...Tying one end of the string with the best knot he knew how to the stick and then around a big juicy worm, he flung it over the edge of the bridge waiting to hear the sound of the plop, just like dad's.
It must have been pure bliss in his imagination, because the sound of the plop was juuuuust right, so when he waited 30 seconds and hadn't caught a fish yet, he wondered what could have possibly gone wrong! He climbed up the side of the railing to get a good look at the situation.
Narrowing for his inspector eyes, he analyzed the situation for a brief moment. He couldn't see that the worm was slipping off, the string didn't reach the water, nor that the jelly beans (yep they were real) were starting to color the water funny shades of blue and green...and niether did he care. He had waited all his life for this moment and no one could take away the pride he'd feel from catching his first fish all on his own.
This couldn't have been more glorious.
Well, except for the fish part. Or lack of fish part.
Patience.
He popped another handful of jelly beans into his mouth so he could bear waiting another 45 seconds tops. Oh yes, he was patient.
Without further adieu, he cast worry aside and began to reel in on his imaginary Lamiglas extra fast action rod and breathed a sigh of determination: Nothing could hold this boy back...for he was going to catch a
fish.
And he had an idea.
No sooner had the (brilliant) idea popped in his head than he had flung the bucket of worms over the side of the bridge, dumping them all (yep...all) into the water. He climbed up on the railing again to watch them squirm, bob, and float. He marveled at the way they seemed to swim downstream, beckoning the fish if they dared.
What happened next can only be told in a story like this one. We can't be quite sure it actually happened. While no one was looking, David could spare no more time.
In a moment of sheer insanity, he flung his stick to the side, grabbed the empty pail, and ran to the bottom of the bridge. At the edge of the water, he paused only long enough to wonder how proud mom would be if he wore his boots in the biggest puddle ever. And in he went.
All in.
The water was cold. He didn't notice.
He lost all his worms. He didn't care.
The fishing rod of his wildest imagination didn't work. He didn't worry.
Carefully, he pushed the bucket under the water, watching it fill up quickly with cold water, a worm, green swirls, and...a minnow!
Fish: captured.
Mission: accomplished.
Adventure: cold. wet. messy.
Childhood: restored.
He could hardly wait to eat it.
His fish.
THE END
"Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all!
All God's gifts are right in front of you
as you wait
expectantly
for Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale.
And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus.
God, who got you started in this spiritual
adventure,
shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus.
He will never give up on you. Never forget that."
(1 Cor 1:7 MSG)
