My sister and I spent many childhood hours playing and swimming in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park streams. The cold water never fazed us, and we constantly had company in our favorite swimming hole. I’m talking fish, not people. Despite all our splashing around, several good-sized brook trout always braved our antics and swam near the creek bottom or hid along the rocky sides. Brook trout are the park’s only native trout species and distinguished by their dark pink, almost red, belly and lower fins. Sometimes their curiosity brought them within reach, but we never caught one by hand.
Jesus did, in a manner of speaking. Matthew 4:19 tells how he called two fishermen Peter and Andrew to follow him and become fishers of men. In Matthew 5:16 he explains one of many ways to do it, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Most folks liking to fish will agree the bait makes a difference in what you catch. An act of kindness can cost zero or next to nothing and provide great food for the soul.
What’s your favorite fish to eat or catch?