At The Rivers Edge
“He told us about Christ’s disciples being fisherman, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fisherman on the Sea of Galilee were fly fisherman and that John, the favorite was a dry-fly fisherman (A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean).”
Maclean’s 1976 novel about family, religion, and fly-fishing has captured many hearts over the last thirty years. Its solid representation of day-to-day relationships, and beautiful correlations between fly-fishing and the Divine, continues to draw me back to the river for much needed rest with my Creator.
The history behind my current passion for fly-fishing began with subtle realizations that when I was wading knee deep in the trout stream, my soul was being awakened and refreshed.
Noticing that Christ needed times of separation from his disciples and others, it encouraged me to pursue a greater purpose for my newfound hobby. As I began to develop my skills as an angler, it become more and more obvious that it wasn’t about catching a wild trout (although that’s the true reason why all of us fly guys brave the elements to get a bend in our rods), but more about the intentional avenue of connecting with my God.
Christ challenges us in Matthew 11:29 to “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”
At some level the act of tying on barely visible flies, and waiving a 9’ stick in the air gives me a better perspective on “finding rest.” My soul finds rest in the fact that God can pursue our hearts in whatever venue He chooses. If we are to be more Christ-like we should do our best to emulate his tendencies.
May you find your escape, outlet, or intentional times of separation from the normal agendas and scheduling. The times we live in are designed to distract us from soulful rest, so we must fight for the health of our hearts and souls.
As for now I will continue to “find rest” in realizing who Christ is, and how He can speak to me on those memorable days chasing spooky trout, anticipating my return to the rivers edge.
May you find rest,
A.J.
