By Daniel Day
Gray clouds filled the sky and thunder echoed off the mountains. The lake was in turmoil, as most people quickly pulled their boats out of the water to escape the coming storm. I grew up on the lake, and I know how fickle the weather can be. Looking at the clouds, they seemed to be going away from us, and I gambled that the thunder storm would stay away. They say a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while, and I found a beautiful one that day. For the first time, I guessed correctly, and soon, we were one of the few families left at the lake.
A few hours later, the kids pulled the fishing poles out of the truck, and my sonâs full sandwich turned into half a sandwichâthe rest was used for bait. As a I sat on the dock watching them, I noticed some bubbles near a buoy. Iâve spent quite a bit of time on the Gulf of Mexico with my bro-in-law. Iâve caught some big fish in the Gulf, and one of the signs we look for is a disturbance on the top of the water. The bubbles on the lake looked a lot like the bait fish I was used to in the ocean, and I knew there was a good chance larger fish would be following the bait fish.
I jumped into gearâliterally, I jumped into the kayak. Have you ever noticed some of the slowest and laziest men can move gazelle-fast when there are potential fish involved? I was moving quickly to take advantage of the opportunity. (Wait, did I just call myself slow and lazy?) I told my son Fin to grab a pole, and since I didnât have a South Carolina fishing license, I figured today was the day heâd catch his biggest fish to date. My wife noticed my urgency, âYou alright?â
âI see some fish! Weâre going to get them!â
I paddled furiously, creating a wake the size of a ski boat (okay, maybe it was more like a ripple). We approached the bubbles, which had moved a little closer to the shore, and I told my son to cast. He was too slow, and I didnât want the big fish to get away. I grabbed the pole and casted for him, right into the middle of the bubbles. And then I pulled in the line quickly.
Why? It wasnât because I had a lure that required speedâI didnât want to catch the divers who were making the bubbles. It wasnât until I got out to the disturbance, that I realized it wasnât bait fish making the water rippleâit was a father and son exploring the depths of Lake Jocassee. Ha! My wife and I had a good laugh at that one, or maybe I was embarrassed, and she had a good laugh. Either way, there was laughter.
It was a great reminder that sometimes we see what we want to see. Our brains can incorrectly interpret stimuli, draw conclusions and cause us to act on wrong assumptions. It doesnât just happen in fishingâthere are relationships in which I have responded furiously or unfairly because I mis-interpreted the actions and words of my wife, boss or kids. There are business decisions Iâve made based on wrong assumptions or bad information.
The bubbles on the lake are a good reminder that patience in relationships, decisions and in life is a virtue worth pursuing. What does patience in relationships look like? To borrow another principle, âEveryone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angryâŚâ*
Why? Because being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry could keep us from saying something hurtful to one we love or making a bad decision that could harm ourselves or others.
So today, may we practice a little more patience in life and in fishing because patienceâwaiting to see if what we see it really realâcould keep us from hurting a friendship, offending a boss or hooking an unsuspecting diver.
*James 1:19 NIV
Daniel Ryan Day is the author of two books, including his most recent work: Intentional Christian (now available). Heâs also the COO of Cascades Mountain Resort, Old Orchard Tavern and Ashevilleâs Fun Depot. Daniel lives in Fairview, NC with his wife and three kiddos. Connect with him on Facebook, Instagram or at intentionalchristianity.com.