First Baptist Church of Herndon

Surf Fishing

Linda Soller | Aug 09, 2021

I do not fish. I have fished and I have observed fishing. On vacation one of my favorite things is to take and early morning walk along the beach. I watch for dolphins offshore, the sun rising in the sky, and people surf fishing.  From my walks I have observed three primary types of surf fishing. There are those who sit on the beach with a pipe type thing holding their fishing pole.  I call this the passive method. I never see the person get out of their beach chair. Next, we have those who hold their fishing poles and stand just out of reach of the incoming waves.  This is only one small step beyond passive, but it gives the illusion of moderate effort. Lastly, there are those who wade into the breaking waves, pole in hand to cast their line further out. Relative to the first two these people are nearly assertive, although I have observed some that return and put their pole in the pipe type contraption then sit to wait for a fish to bite. None of these methods is wrong or perfect. I have never seen more than a few very small fish retrieved from the ocean. I think this must be because the huge white sharks have already had breakfast. 

Jesus had an affinity for fishermen. After observing these three types of surf fishing, I may understand why. Jesus was selecting people to spread the good news. He needed people with patience, who would remain faithful to their endeavor even when it was initially unsuccessful. He wanted people who would try and try again. He needed people who would take different approaches to achieving the same ultimate goal. The fishermen and one fisherwoman I observed recently had those traits. They appeared intent on catching a fish. They seemed to be devoted to their goal. Their demeanor was one of quiet resolve. Jesus knew what He was doing when He selected fishermen as disciples.  Today He still makes careful selections of who He needs to do what. I don’t think I will take up surf fishing, but I can appreciate the traits of the people who do on a whole new level. 

Be the difference in the world! :o)