Fishing...

Wow I have got to get better about posting on here! I used to try to post once a week but lately I've only been posting when inspiration strikes. Well inspiration struck this weekend.

Father's Day was this past Sunday and since I always cancel our Youth Worship for Mother's and Father's Day so the youth can spend time with mom and pops. I decided to plan a huge Father's Day weekend for myself and my oldest daughter, and for myself and my Dad. So I decided to take my daughter fishing on the dock at the lake I grew up fishing at and my Dad on a boat fishing trip on the same lake since he has a jon boat. My daughter and I had a blast and did more playing at the playground than fishing but she is only 5 so it was a win. The trip with my Dad was profound though.

A little background before I start, Loch Mary or as most locals call it Earlington Lake in Earlington KY is MY lake! Fish FEAR me at this lake. I've never been fishing at the lake since high school and been skunked. NEVER. Even the trip the day before with my daughter I caught two fish, to small to keep, but fish none the less.

We load up and head out. After hitting the water and getting halfway out into the lake we had a bit of comic relief. I see the boat capacity and it says 280 lbs. Alone I weigh 225-230. So I told dad unless he weighed 50 lbs we might not make it! But luckily we were no where near sinking.

We make it across the lake and start fishing, between casts I thanked my Dad for raising us in the faith and for being a great youth pastor. Though our senior pastor was our "youth minister" my parents ALWAYS volunteered and were there at every youth group. They allowed youth members to hangout at our house, led youth group when the pastor was out of town, and always had time to listen to anything the teens wanted to talk about. My Dad always says he never viewed himself as a youth minister but he was one of the best.

Cast after cast, I reeled in fish, we weren't out long due to a storm but all told I caught 9 fish total. My dad, nothing. I felt horrible, this trip was supposed to be a great fishing outing for both of us and a great time of conversation. The conversation we had plenty of, fish I had, but not my Dad.

On the way back to the dock, I told him I was sorry he didn't catch anything. My dad then dropped a wisdom bomb on me. He said,"Son it's not always about catching the fish yourself. But enjoying watching the one you taught to fish catch the fish." I could see in my Dad's eyes that he didn't just mean fishing. He might not have thought of himself as a youth pastor but he enjoys hearing about what my youth group is doing etc because he taught me to walk with God and how to do youth ministry right. Wow....

I thank God every day for giving me the parents that I had and for being raised the way I was. Even though when I was in high school I always thought I knew better than my dad, I can see now that, even though he's human and makes mistakes like anyone, he's the wisest man I know. I pray that even with all of my "knowledge" of youth ministry, that God would grant me my parents "heart" for teens. So awesome to have my parents not only as mentors in life but also in youth ministry. Just keep swimming my friends!