Learning to Cast

Learning to cast a fishing lure was a fundamental when I was a kid. Grandpa brought home fish, it was important to him, so it had to be important to me! He used the old bait-casting reel, open spool, nothing automatic or push-button involved.

When he offered to teach me, I thought maybe learning to compare one kind of tackle against another, one rod and reel against another. but no. He brought out a pretty trashy piece of equipment. No ferrule on the end of the rod, looked broken off. No reel. Just the rod, and a bucket. And in the bucket, some mud.

Placing a blob of mud on the end of the rod, squeezing it so it would stick, he then flipped it to land on a wall, about 25 feet away, where the blob stuck. "There," he said, "now you flip one as close to that as you can."

I thought, "This is fishing????" but went ahead. Not good; missed by a mile! Again, not good, but medium, maybe. Again, and again, and again, until I got close. Practiced more. Kept on. Graduated to a rod and reel (learning how to avoid backlash) and a practice plug (no hooks at all).

To make a long story short, contest followed, casting accuracy contests, and it felt good to win. Then the fishing moments when that bait could be placed under a limb, close to the bank, with some real precision.

Lesson: Fishing skills aren't bought at the store, and they don't consist in fine tackle. Fishing skills are learned in the mind, and in the eye-hand-coordination.

Spiritual-life skills are the same; labels don't get it done. Something happens at the moment when you realize that ancient, old Abraham is your spiritual "senior", living far beyond the level where you yourself live in your journey with the Lord.

It's not "having the latest tackle"; it's all about authenticity between your heart and the Lord. Everything else is just for show!