When it Comes to Fishing – Anything Goes

My grocery list in hand, items checked off, coupons pulled and I’m at check-out with a brimming grocery cart. Only two cashiers? Ugh! I patiently wait in line. All those unnerved folks waiting behind me must be thinking: “Great! There’s THAT lady who is going to take FOR-EVER with all those groceries! And to make matters worse – SHE HAS COUPONS!”

I’ve been behind people like me. I try to grin and bear it, but it definitely calls for pulling the fruit of patience out of my Holy Spirit fruit basket! The elderly lady behind me is amused as she watches the total to $200, then $210, then $235!! She exclaims: “I’ve never spent that much on groceries!” I reply “Oh, I don’t either, but this is for a family fishing trip!” Then she sees the cashier’s final total of $175! Oh, yes, this girl coupons. I apologize to the grocery buyers behind me with their meager-filled baskets and thank them for their patience. They smile at me with clenched teeth. The little lady right behind me assures me “I enjoyed watching this show!”

This kind of shopping is not for the faint of heart. It is a quest – a feat of monumental proportions and it takes time. I ease into the entertainment value of imagining my family’s excitement when I pull out some of the goodies. Hostess chocolate cupcakes! Chocolate-covered mini donuts! BBQ potato chips! Essentials! Family favorites we rarely indulge in, but this is our annual fishing trip and anything goes! So as not to cause you, veggie lovers, to implode – the bounty does include fruits and veggies. It takes precision and quality management to get these groceries home, unloaded, sorted and temporarily stored until we load up the cars and head out about 8 am!

This annual fishing trip is a tradition that started with Papa and me when we took the grands to a fishing location each summer. That tradition continues. We have carried on Papa’s love for fishing. We are serious fisher-people. We get to our favorite fishing spot by daybreak. A picture of heaven (at least in a fisherman's eyes) as we arrive at those quiet, calm, peaceful waters. The fish are jumping and saying (in our imagination) "Come get me!” We are fish-whisperers. They'll be greatly disappointed by the breakfast they’ll go after because tomorrow they'll be in our tummies!

I enjoy fishing but “somebody’s gotta’ be the chief cook and bottle washer. I know the rest of the diehard fisher-people would rather fish than eat so I think of myself as sustenance-provider. I love it. I’ll fish in the mornings, but I return to the cabin for my call-of-duty. Hopefully, this crew brings in lots of fish. It’s a staple: Beer-batter trout. Yum!

So what is my encouragement for today as we make our way to Beaver's Bend in Broken Bow, OK? This scripture comes to mind: John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I totally get it. The enemy of our souls wants our thoughts to be on everything but peace. He wants us all consumed about matters of the world and matters in our little worlds, rather than taking to the words of Christ to heart "I CAME to give you life and have it to the full". My life is full and running over with God's abundance and blessings. That's what I purpose to fix my mind on -- and NOT those things that the enemy purposes to use to steal, kill and destroy my good thoughts and good attitudes!

So, until next time, I’ll finish loading up all the cold rations into the coolers and get over to my kids’ home where they have all the fish tackle, poles, and everything needed for a few days of celebrating my grandson’s 19th birthday and living the abundant life Christ came to live us! I’m not sure what the wifi ability will be in this very remote spot…..so, just in case I have to be off the grid for a few days – be sure to come back on Saturday when I’ll be back home in My Peace Zone!

Hidden Treasures

Upon my return from Texas, I went to see Mom. I know she loves getting the latest news about all the family and I use my visual aids (my cell phone's photos) to describe it all. I had lots of photos from Payton's 16th birthday celebrations to show her, that she loved.

She played baseball as a young woman so she got a special joy of hearing about Brennan, our 11 year old's recent game. They were down 4-0 when Brennan was up to bat. It was a full count: 3 balls, 2 strikes, and each strike was a tipped ball. His dad hollered out "Shift your back leg". He did, and WHAM, he hit a homerun over the fence which brought in two who were on bases and his run. I showed her this photo of Brennan's team running out to celebrate with him at home base. Mom loved it. So much so, that she went back to her bedroom and found the photo of herself (on the right), her friend, and her sister, Penny (on the left) in their baseball uniforms. During the war, they worked for Western Steel who had competitive ball teams. Their team's name was "We Steel". Mom's eyes brightened up when she told me about how she made sure her back leg was positioned for her runs and homeruns, sliding into home, and her stretches to catch the balls in outfield. Treasures.

This little shared time with Mom (my mother-in-law) reminded me of the importance of spending time with our loved ones, but not just "time", but giving them the opportunity to remember and share their past. With my own sweet Mom, I would go over and often capture our conversations on video so that my family could hear "her stories" of what school was like for her, their Christmases where they got an apple, an orange and a few nuts in their Christmas stocking (that was all, but big -- in a family of 12), how she and Dad met, how they fell in love, how they made it through tough times. Treasures.

Maybe there is a Mom, Dad, Grandparent, Aunt or Uncle (in your life) that are past the ages of getting out and around like they once did, but I assure you, they are filled with stories and adventures that are just waiting to be heard. Maybe this weekend would be a good time for a planned and unrushed visit to see them and let them share those treasures with you. I promise you, you'll leave with joys inside and they will feel such love from you that you gave them the time to want to know! Live with no regrets. Know those loved ones deeply so they don't leave us with hidden treasures inside that we never found.