Fish In The River
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“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was shining like crystal and was flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1
My thoughts have focused on Heaven lately with so many people I have known taking the walk home to Heaven. I have read the Bible about the streets of gold and the crystal river and the city of New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven. I have been listening to songs that describe Heaven as a peaceful country scene, too, like the song – “Outskirts of Heaven” by Craig Campbell –
“Where there’s dirt roads for miles. Hay in the fields and fish in the river. Where there’s dogwood trees and honey bees and blue skies and green grass forever. Lord, when I die, I wanna live on the outskirts of heaven.”
This sounds like heaven to me. Heaven is where God is and God is the Creator of all of nature. Genesis tells us how God created the world – the sky, the stars, the sun, the moon, the plants, all the animals and humans. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which was a perfect place. To me, this was describing Heaven.
My friend, John died recently and I believe walked into heaven by the river of the water of life. The Outskirts of Heaven is where John would want to be. John and I had several life situations in common. We were both the youngest of five siblings, and we each grew up on a farm. We knew the hard work of farm life from baling hay to milking cows. I always enjoyed sharing stories with John about growing up on a farm. John loved the outdoors and his garden. John also loved to fish and heaven’s river of life is certainly filled with fish.
Jesus called fishmen as his disciples. He told them they were now going to fish for people. John spent his career fishing for people as an educator. To fish for people is to challenge and invite others to learn and grow. John was actively involved in the lives of his students and provided hands on experiences to engage them in a life career. John helped launch a vocational school and eventually became the Superintendent of the vocational school.
John was a man who worked with his hands. He worked on the farm using his hands to farm and care for animals. He used his hands as a teacher in Industrial Arts and the vocational trade industry. And in his retirement, John used his hands in his yard, to tend his garden, and to fish. John’s handshake was always firm and he hugged tightly too. John’s smile and joy for life reflected God’s love in his heart.
John was a gentleman. His life reflected patience. It takes patience to teach, garden, and fish. There are no instant results in any of them. It takes effort and hard work and being persistent even when it doesn’t seem to take root, grow or bite.
When one fishes, you cannot be in a hurry. You slow down and enjoy the view, the beauty of creation around you, and you just sit and ponder. One is more aware of the beauty God created and you listen to the sounds of the water and the birds. You sit back and wait. Some days the fish bite and other days they don’t, but you still fish. Some years the garden produces an abundance of crops and you share it with all your neighbors and friends, and other years the drought or floods or animals take the crop. But you still plant year after year. Some students are eager to learn and grow while other students don’t want to be there and barely pass, but you still teach and challenge.
John’s life and legacy will live on in me, his students and all the lives he has touched. His smile and love for life was evident. He gave himself completely to life. John had a strong will and determination. John’s love for fishing – and I fished with him several times – taught me to slow down and enjoy the beauty around the adventure. If you didn’t catch anything, you still fished. It was not so much about the results, it was about the adventure.
Life is about enjoying the adventure not just about what you gain. It is about enjoying who you walk with on the journey. It is sharing your faith – fishing for people – not focused on the results because that is up to God. It is using your hands for the glory of God. Keep fishing!
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