A Fine Day of Fishing (Reflection & Renewal Story)

Submitted By: Mary Minette

I grew up fishing with my dad, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to pass along to Matthew. Fishing is such a quiet activity (until you catch a fish!) and a good way to connect with creation and with your own thoughts. Matthew and I have gone bait fishing before, but the area near Asheville, North Carolina has miles of beautiful rivers and streams and tons of opportunities to learn to fly fish, so we were excited to take advantage of that in our recent visit to the area. Unfortunately, the day before we were supposed to head out for our trip, our guide called to tell us that he had been exposed to COVID-19 and had just tested positive, despite having been vaccinated (fortunately he was showing no symptoms). We were disappointed, particularly Matthew, so Steve decided to see if he could find another guide. After some calling around, he found someone who had an opening only a day later than we’d planned. It was a great day: Matthew caught a fish within minutes of stepping into the river and learning to cast. Steve was also successful in catching a fish a few minutes later; I actually hooked a really large trout but lost it! But the best part of the day was standing in the river, casting my line over and over and watching the huge smile on Matthew’s face as he stood nearby, up to his knees in the water, learning a new skill and enjoying the day in God’s beautiful creation.