A Fishy Obsession!

David's article from our church newsletter this week . . .

We were able to buy Jackson his first fishing rod a month ago. I love to fish and hunt. And I love that as he grows I can share my passions for the outdoors with him. Lately all he wants to do is practice his casting. There is a little red fish-shaped casting weight for his Spiderman fishing rod that gets thrown around the yard, caught in trees, tangled in unimaginable ways, and it has been know to zoom past our heads at a dangerous clip. Every once in a while, he does it just right. But most of the time the cast isn't much like a cast at all. It takes a little bit of fine motor skills and coordination to hold the button down while flinging the rod in the right direction, making sure not to snag anything behind you while you release the button at just the right moment for the lure (or weight) to fly to the desired location. We work on it over and over. We still have work to do. Here's the problem . . . I can be a little impatient. I keep having to remind myself (or Kristin reminds me) that it takes a lot of work and practice and Jackson won't get it on the first try. But I so badly want him to get it. Nonetheless, even though the casting isn't perfect, his grandpa and I were able to take him out in the boat for the first time. He didn't do great, but that wasn't the point. We spent time together sharing a love for the outdoors.

I wonder if God ever gets impatient with me when I don't get it. Though he teaches me over and over I still want to try it my way and my line gets tangled or slams into the ground, or worse, someone else gets the brunt of my mistake. (I hooked my dad in the nose once!) Praise be to God that he never gives up on me! He wants me to be the best fisherman that I can be and will continue to work with me to perfect my cast, but it's going to require a lot of patience on his part and a lot of humility on my part. I'm just glad that even though I'm not perfect he still takes me on the fishing trip. Following God makes me a better dad. Wanting to be the best Dad I can be teaches me a lot about how to follow God.

David Jarrett
Creative Arts Minister