The Little Things

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

 

I have always tried to teach my children about prayer. We have even prayed for parking spots. Yet God needed to teach me a lesson that nothing is too small for prayer.

I was visiting a good friend in southern California and we decided to take his children fishing. We were on one of the local piers in the San Diego area. Because they are heavily fished, most of what you see caught is on the small side. We had been there for about ½ an hour or so and really hadn’t caught anything. Suddenly his youngest son got a bite and reeled up a tiny little surf perch. “We prayed for that”, he beamed. Sure, you prayed for that. A fish that can be caught anytime on these piers. Still it kind of nagged me that I ended up being “skunked” that day. No bites, nada, not a one.

A few weeks later I was at my old haunt in Half Moon Bay poke-poling for monkeyface eel. I had covered the whole area and not seen a thing, which for me was very unusual. While pondering this dilemma, a though floated through my thick head. “So, you don’t have to pray for fish, eh?” Now maybe God doesn’t talk to you in your head, but he and I have had some really interesting conversations. I tried to ignore it for a while, all the time catching NOTHING. Finally next to a big rock by the shore, I knelt in my waders on the sandy beach, acknowledged my pride and unfaithfulness, and prayed for fish. I returned to the normal circuit that was my usual pattern, and ended up with a sizable bag of eel, rockfish, and crab. I can never walk past that rock without smiling. God does have a sense of humor. It has now become a must, even when fishing with strangers, to pray before we fish. Funny, no one seems to object. I guess they figure they need as much help as they can get. I know I do.