Fish Story & the Spirit

I haven't fished very much, so I'm not too experienced. I don't always know how to read the signs that fish give. A few weeks ago I had a line in the water, rigged for catfish. First came the little tug, and I set the hook. That was something I had done before. Then the fishing line did something I hadn't seen before: it zoomed straight away from me, really fast.

I thought, "Huh, that's a fast fish." Then the fish hit the end of my line. "Woah! That's a big fish!" It was a stronger tug than I had felt yet. As it turned out, it was only big to me, the biggest fish I've ever caught, a little under two and a half pounds.

The speed of the fish would have told an experienced fisher that it was a good size. I had no idea. But the tug the fish gave left no doubt for me, even though I couldn't see it.

There can be a spiritual comparison made here. Some of the signals that the Spirit gives us need experience to understand, like the speed of my fishing line showing that I had hooked a big fish. Some signals cannot be misunderstood, like the strength of the fish when it reached the end of my line. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it was bigger than the other fish I had been catching.

If you worry that the Spirit never talks to you, give yourself time. It can take experience to recognize the little signals the Spirit gives us. Don't underestimate the importance of the messages that you have understood in the past, remember them and treasure them. If you think you have no experiences at all, wait. The fish will bite eventually.

If you have felt the definite tugs, as the Spirit has talked to you, listen! Don't ignore them or let them fade from memory. Follow those tugs. The Spirit is there to guide us closer to Jesus Christ. We all need that.

Eventually, if we keep our line in the water, well get our fish!