Fish Love Shiny Things

Do I fish? No. I have in the past and I would like to, but I am really not very good at it. There are so many things that you have to know about fishing to be able to really enjoy it and be good at it. Where to go, when to go, how to find the perfect spot to sit and wait for the fish to come to you. Despite not knowing any of those things, I do know one thing. FISH LOVE SHINY THINGS. Why? I don't know. But every description of fishing lures I have seen has the word "shiny" in it. "Shiny lures, the paint is shiny, over-priced shiny lures, the shiniest of them all." All of these terms were found on fishing web sites. I don't know what it is, but shiny is the way to go.

So, what does that have to do with me and my walk in life.
Mark 16-18 (NIV) says "As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

John 8:12 (NIV) says, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) says (this is Jesus speaking) "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put in under a bowl. Instead they put in on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) And we, who with unveiled faces all REFLECT the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

FISH LOVE SHINY THINGS. It sounds easy doesn't it. Reflect the light of the Lord's glory on all who you come into contact and there will be no limit to how many fish you can catch for the Lord. Unfortunately, there is one problem. I (and most likely you) am human and I am not always polished. I am not always pointing to the light of the Lord. And quite honestly, sometimes I am totally in the dark.

I really love Third Day music. If you are not familiar with Third Day, they are a Christian rock band who has been around for a good number of years. Their sounds are inspired by groups like U2, REM, among others. Their lyrics are inspired by God. I love their music because 1) it is well done and 2) their lyrics speak right to my heart. I typically am not confused about what they are trying to say. Third Day sings a song called (are you ready for this), KEEP ON SHININ. The whole song is great, but the second verse really gets me choked up.

Having faith in the long run is easier said than done
It’s hard to live out in the light of day
You’re bruised and you’re battered,
your dreams have been shattered
Your best laid plans scattered over the place
Despite all your tendencies, God sees it differently
Your struggle’s a time to grow And you,
you’re a miracle, anything but typical
It’s time for the whole wide world to know

Keep on, keep on shinin’ Wherever you may be
Keep on, keep on shinin’ For all the world to see

Fish, shiny things, reflect light, Third Day. Where is all of this going?

We just moved a year and half ago. It was really hard to leave a church that we loved and people we had grown close to and quite frankly, I wasn't real excited about trying to make new friends here. But, by the grace of God, I did make a new friend about a year ago. And darnit my friend had to go and get diagnosed with advanced stage, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and make me and everyone he knows get really, really scared. I guess he and his family was probably a little scared too. Well, my friend kept his head up. He grew in his faith in the Lord. He meditated daily on the Word and continued to encourage his friends. My friend was reflecting the light of the Lord so bright that my eyes hurt. His head is now shaved. He has lost a lot of weight and still he continues to show concern for me and what is going on in my life. This week, my friend's doctor told him that his latest tests showed that his cancer was now in remission. He is only halfway through his chemo, but all of the cancer is gone.

Now my problems are way more serious than my friends. The car doesn't run great. My football team is not playing for the national championship. My pants are too tight. I mean I have problems. But, thinking about my friend's great attitude, remembering that I am a miracle created by God for a purpose and that God loves me; all help me to get all bright and shiny with the Glory of God.

If you don't mind, say a prayer for my friend. He needs the courage and patience to get through 3-4 more months of chemo. Prayer has given him peace already.