In last week’s post, I shared the life-changing experience I had at She Speaks 2015, a conference for women faith writers and speakers hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries. I learned so much and am now so encouraged to continue to serve through words.
The best part of the conference was gathering with so many other women dedicated to God and sharing His message through words. I’m pleased to introduce you to Adrian Jessen, blogger at Adrianjessen.com. Her post Are You Catching or Being Caught? is one of many where she shares her love for God, fitness, and nature. I hope you’ll be inspired as I was…
This week my husband and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. We’re different than most so instead of heading to a plush hotel and enjoying a couple’s massage or getting all dolled up to visit our favorite fancy restaurant, we loaded up our kayaks and bikes and headed east.
We had an awesome time paddling on the beautiful Pungo Creek. We even did a little kayak fishing! While fishing I had this thought:
Are you catching or being caught?
We went out a few times with no luck. At the beginning of our last morning it seemed like we were going to have the same experience. Fish were literally jumping out of the water all around us (I thought they were going to jump in my boat.). But they were not interested at all in our shiny, fluttery bait – we were not catching!
Then…(the suspense is killing you, I know) we finally caught a couple of striped bass.
Victory!
We were super excited! I mean, look at that grin on his face!
Then probably about 200 yards away we saw a ton of fish jumping out of the water. We paddled over and discovered a huge school of gar were enjoying a virtual feeding frenzy, jumping and splashing all over the place.
We would cast and reel in. Cast and reel in. As quick as we could get that bait back out there, we were casting and reeling.
And then – you guessed it – VICTORY!
We both finally reeled one in.
Then I thought how we are so much like those gar. As we paddled around, my husband said he saw thousands of tiny baitfish under him that the gars were feeding on.
They had a more than ample supply of real food, real fish all around them. But then when we distracted them with our shinier and more visually appealing bait, they were distracted from what God had provided them, and we snagged them with our hooks.
I think that happens a lot of times in our lives as well.
God has provided us with everything we need. Right here. Right now. All around us.
But we get distracted. Everyone is trying, too. It seems there just can’t possibly be enough blessings to go around.
“Surely what is around me isn’t enough.”
Then we see that shiny, more attractive thing that we think we’re searching for, and before you know it – we’re caught.
We get snagged and are pulled away.
Now, we were just doing some catch-and-release fishing, but in life that’s not always the case.
We go after the things we think will bring us happiness. We go after something that looks more appealing. We go after the newest, shiniest thing.
Only to find that thing wasn’t what we needed after all. That thing was merely a false hope that sometimes, unfortunately, leads to some pretty negative consequences.
So, what’s this got to do with you?
Well, can you take a minute and reflect on your life? What areas do you feel like you’re constantly searching, chasing the next thing?
Your job? Relationships? Finances? Health?
You think you’ve almost got it figured out and then something different gets your attention, and you go chasing after that one.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m excited for you, but I sure know what that feels like. And, I know it’s exhausting! So are you catching or being caught?
Let’s all make a decision right now.
After all, Jesus himself reminds us,
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?…” Matthew 16:26 NIV
Let’s agree together right now to stop chasing those things the world promises will make us happy and trust God for the things HE promises will bring us true joy. Maybe then we can avoid getting hooked by the world.
Will you agree to that with me? Let’s do it!
Let’s Get FIT Together!
Adrian Jessen is a speaker, blogger, author, and transformed follower of Jesus Christ. And, a health and fitness fanatic! Her mission: to empower people to pursue a healthy and active lifestyle – mind, body, & soul – by providing the training, resources, and encouragement needed to succeed.
Follow her on Twitter and Facebook as she shares her expertise based on over 15 years of experience in the health care and fitness fields, personal experiences, and the truth of God’s word in hopes that you grow into the best YOU possible.
Photo credits: Adrian Jessen. This post originally appeared on Adrianjessen.com. Used with permission.
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