“Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for.”

     If you think you have heard all the fish stories, think again. I’ve got one you will hardly believe! Barbara and Nathan and I shared our summer vacation in 1994 with my parents, who were visiting from down South. We had a glorious time in the Thousand Islands, and in the Adirondack mountains. The second week we were camping near the shore at Cranberry Lake, and my father decided to do some fishing on a five day non-resident fishing license. We both became discouraged when, after spending hours in the canoe, we got very few bites, and the few fish I caught were not “keepers.” My father caught nothing the entire time.

     On the fifth day, we decided to try fishing from the dock at the public boat launch. We cast out and got few bites, but nothing promising. After a few hours, my father’s line snapped, right above the bobber. He lost his sinker, hook and worm, too! Reluctantly giving up, we drove back to camp for the day and had supper with the family. The next morning, my mother saw something red and white, floating in the water off the shore. Paddling out to it, my father was amazed to be looking at his own tackle, and [would you believe it?] On the hook was a 12” catfish! That catfish must have swam from the boat launch right to our campsite, which must be a mile by water. Of all the shoreline on this  large lake, it had come home to papa! As I reflected on this fish story, I thought of the amazing ways God reminds us to have faith, even when all hope is gone. Even when God’s promises seem unfulfilled, and we are sure God made a mistake, or we heard wrong, and the day is done, and there is nothing more we can expect, God is in control. And surely God has a sense of humor. We, the people of God, are always called to believe where we cannot see. Otherwise, it is not faith.