Toad

When I was growing up my next door neighbor was named Toad.  I never knew his real name because everyone called him Toad Eatman.  I am guessing he was in his 50's when I knew him.  I knew his daughter and I remember she was older and a nice person (she tried to teach me to dance, with very little luck).  But Toad always had a special place in my heart for one reason.  Toad taught me to fish.

I remember when I was a little boy Toad would take me to one of the local lakes and we would fish for bream and bass.  He taught me all about the nuances of fishing and I have retained a love for this sport through the present day.  He taught things like, "If you keep it eat it."  "Throw back the little ones so they can grow."  "Tie your knots well or you will lose your lure and your fish."  "Leave the lake as good or better than you found it."  "Nature is God's creation so take care of it." "A good fisherman is patient and persistent."  I could go on with many lessons Toad taught.  But here is what I have decided to do instead.

I will, over the next few months, be passing on my fishing passion to my church.  Jesus called His disciples and said,  "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people! (Matthew 4:19 NLT)."  I figure if He is teaching us to fish, maybe we should listen, learn and live it out.

Join me for this series of fun and fruitful fishing tips.  I hope it will be as fun for you as it will be for me.  This week we will learn about Toad, my fishing teacher and how some of Toad's advice mirrored the advice of a much greater fisherman named Jesus.

Randy