Caring Enough to Pray A Fishing Story from a Country Preacher

 I have never claimed to be much of a fisherman. Truth be told, I never really enjoyed fishing all that much. It seemed that nearly every fishing trip I went on eventually turned into a swimming trip—and most of the time, the swimming was more interesting than the fishing.

My dad, however, was a fisherman. He enjoyed the sport and apparently believed that, with enough patience and opportunity, he could make a fisherman out of me. He never quite succeeded, but he did give me some memories that have stayed with me for more than seventy years.

My first fishing trip took place when I was about five years old. We were living in South Bend, Indiana, not far from Lake Michigan. My dad, my grandfather, my great-uncle Bunker, and I went fishing on Lake Michigan. As best as I can remember, we were standing on a pier with our lines in the water.

Uncle Bunker was teaching me how to fish. He was more excited about it than I was. He kept telling me to watch the line and be ready because I might catch a big one.

After a while, I finally got a bite.

Uncle Bunker began carrying on as though I had hooked the biggest fish in Lake Michigan. He grabbed hold of the line and started pulling. He grunted, strained, and acted as if that fish was about to drag us all into the lake.

Then Uncle Bunker stumbled and fell right off the pier into the water!

I do not know how deep the water was, but he thrashed around and carried on as though he were drowning. According to him, that enormous fish on my line had practically pulled him into the lake.

When either my dad or my grandfather—I cannot remember which one—finally pulled my fish out of the water, we discovered the mighty monster was a little sunfish about four inches long.

That was my first fishing trip.

For years afterward, Uncle Bunker bragged about what a great fisherman I was. According to him, I had caught a fish so big that it pulled a grown man into Lake Michigan! Of course, he never let the truth interfere with a good fishing story.

The Bible says:

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
—Proverbs 17:22, KJV

That little fish did not feed anybody, but the memory has given me a lifetime of laughter.

On another occasion, my dad took a Sunday School class of boys fishing at a reservoir in Hamilton County. We fished for a little while, but before long, we boys ended up swimming. Once we were all in the water, that pretty well brought the fishing trip to an end.

The thing I remember most about that day was not the fish we caught—if we caught any at all. What I remember is that we stopped at a drive-in restaurant on the way home, and I had my first foot-long hot dog.

That may tell you something about the kind of fisherman I was. Other boys remembered the fish; I remembered the hot dog.

Yet there is another fishing trip that means much more to me today.

Some friends stopped by yesterday, and we began talking about days gone by. There is something special about sitting with old friends and opening the treasure chest of memory. One story leads to another, and suddenly events that took place many years ago seem as fresh as yesterday.

They reminded me of a time when I had taken a group of young people fishing. Their daughter was still young then, and she was excited about going. Before they left, her mother prayed and asked the LORD to let her daughter catch a fish.

At the end of the day, that little girl was the only person in the group who had caught any fish.

Her mother asked me why I thought her daughter was the only one who caught something. I gave her a simple answer:

“She was the only one who cared enough to pray.”

I had forgotten saying those words, but she had never forgotten them. She told me that she carried that lesson with her throughout the rest of her life. Whenever something was important to her, she remembered that fishing trip and reminded herself to care enough to pray.

That touched my heart.

Something I said many years ago—perhaps without giving it much thought—became a lifelong lesson in prayer for another person. That is how the LORD works. He can take an ordinary day, a child with a fishing pole, and one little fish, and turn them into a spiritual lesson that lasts for generations.

The Bible says:

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
—Matthew 7:7, KJV

The LORD is not telling us that every prayer will be answered exactly as we demand. Prayer is not a way of ordering God around or forcing Him to follow our wishes. Prayer is the act of bringing our needs, burdens, hopes, fears, and desires before the One who loves us and knows what is best.

Paul wrote:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
—Philippians 4:6, KJV

Notice those words: “in every thing.”

Some folks think they should only pray about great emergencies. They pray when the doctor brings bad news, when the money runs out, when the family is in trouble, or when death comes near. We certainly ought to pray during those times—but the Lord also wants us to bring the little things to Him.

If something is important to you, it is important enough to pray about.

A mother prayed that her little girl would catch a fish. Some might say that was too small a matter to bother God with. But that little prayer taught a lesson that lasted a lifetime. The fish was small, but the lesson was mighty.

Sometimes we fail to pray because we do not think our concern is important enough. At other times, we fail because we believe we can handle the matter ourselves. Then, after we have exhausted every other possibility, we finally turn to God.

We treat prayer like an emergency exit when it ought to be the front door.

The Bible says:

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
—Psalm 37:5, KJV

Prayer is an expression of trust. It says, “Lord, I cannot see everything You see. I do not know what tomorrow holds. I cannot control every circumstance. But I trust You enough to place this matter in Your hands.”

James reminds us:

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
—James 5:16, KJV

We may never know how many people have been helped by a prayer we prayed, how many doors were opened, how many dangers were avoided, or how many hearts were strengthened because somebody cared enough to pray.

Looking back over my life, I suppose the LORD did use fishing to teach at least one person about the power and importance of prayer. Maybe He used it to teach me something as well.

I still do not consider myself a fisherman. I never developed the patience to sit for hours waiting for a fish to bite. But I have learned that the LORD can use even the things we do not particularly enjoy to accomplish His purpose.

My great-uncle used a four-inch sunfish to give our family a story that lasted a lifetime. My dad used fishing trips to spend time with boys who needed attention and Christian fellowship. A mother’s prayer used one little fish to teach her daughter—and herself—that nothing is too small to carry before the LORD.

And yesterday, many years after that fishing trip, the LORD brought the lesson back to me through the words of an old friend.

Never underestimate what God can do with one simple prayer.

You may not have the right words. You may not know how the situation will turn out. Your request may seem small to everyone else. But if it matters to your heart, bring it before the LORD.

Care enough to pray.

Pray about your children. Pray about your grandchildren. Pray about your church. Pray about your neighbors. Pray about the decisions you must make. Pray when the burden is heavy, and pray when the need seems small.

Then place it in the hands of God and trust His wisdom.

“Pray without ceasing.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV

I may never become much of a fisherman, but I pray I will always care enough to pray.