Saturday Morning, the two teen boys and Gramps were bouncing down the road in Nothin'. The boys remembered that Nothin' was the nickname of this old pickup truck that most folks didn't think it was worth nothin'. Duke was careful to keep his foot on the piece of plywood that covered the open place in the floor... mud puddles can get messy.
Silver-haired
Gramps headed Nothin' down a rough dirt road toward Snyder's Pay
Lake. The talk in the truck was always full of excitement and
expectation. Max told his fish joke about the Catfish 'n Candy Bar.
It was one of those fish stories not quite worth writing home about,
but he got a couple chuckles out of his two companions. The two teens
talked a little about school activity, including the history tests
ol' Mrs. Grudy gives. They're murder.
Gramps
spoke to the boys while watching the rough road ahead. “Boys. I've
heard a lot of strange fishing stories in my time, but the strangest
one, I suppose is one that no fishing poles, string, or hooks were
used. Oddly enough, it almost cost the lives of everyone in the boat.
The gist of it, as I remember is this guy was riding in this boat and
the whole crew threw him overboard. Now here's where this turns
strange. When this guy landed in the water some kind of a fish, or
maybe a shark, swallowed him. Two or three days later this fish spit
this guy out on shore. The guy got up and walked away. Strange, huh?”
Gramps
hardly took a breath before he started explaining some of the rules
to be observed at Snyder's Pay Lake, just a little farther down the
bumpy road, that is, if Nothin' will hold together.
The
teens grabbed their fishing tackle and headed for spots they were
sure some hungry fish or two, were waiting to taste their bait...
which was not a candy bar. While the boys were fishing Gramps was
gathering a few things in an area approved to build a camp fire and
have a great time. Blaster Jackson (that's Gramps) was quietly
praying as hard as he could for the boys and this fishing time.
Gramps continually prayed something like, “Lord, I've started the
Jonah story and cast it upon the waters of imagination and curiosity
of the boys. I'm asking you to use the story as bait to draw their
hearts close to you and their need for salvation and your peace and
even Full Joy.”
About
half an hour before Gramps had planned for their lunch, Max walked
over to Gramps with a confused look. He said, “Gramps I can't fish
right now. I stare at my fishing line and think about your strange
fish story, and it's bugging me awful. Will you tell me the meaning
of the story? I know enough about you and your burden for us teens
and all our inner stress. So I know you got something good hidden in
the story. Tell me please, 'cuz I won't be able to think of anything
else the rest of the day. Please?”
Gramps
motioned Max to follow him a couple steps away from the campfire
area, but yet easy to be seen by others fishing at the lake. Gramps
looked both ways, in a shifty way, like he was about to pass on some
military secrets. He looked directly at Max and said, “I'll tell
you the rest of the story, if you'll promise to share the story with
at least one other person, as best as you can. Agreed?” Max's nod
sealed the bargain.
The
old gentleman began, “Well God had told this guy to do something
very important, He was supposed to go to this great big town and tell
everybody how much God loves each of them. But see, this guy didn't
think it was a good idea, so he got on this boat and headed in the
other direction. Now since this guy on board this ship wasn't obeying
God, the ship got in a big storm and almost sank. They threw most
stuff overboard. Finally this guy was honest with the captain and
said, 'I'm the reason God is about to sink your ship.' He tells the
captain to throw him overboard and everybody will live.”
“Well
that's what happened, Max. Now the strange and wonderful part of the
story is that God had prepared a big fish at the right time and the
right place to save this guy that had been disobedient, but was now
being honest with himself and God. Now I know that only God has the
power to keep this guy alive inside that fish, until he got spit up
on dry land.”
“I'm
sure that guy had learned for sure not to disobey God, especially
when He wants others to know about how He can save them for eternity,
to live with Him in Heaven. Max, what I've told you is not a story at
all. It's a real piece of history, that you can read for yourself.
Oh, you'll want to know the guy's name was Jonah. The town that
learned about God's deep abiding love is named, Nineveh.”
A
couple days later, Blaster's phone rang, as it so often does.
Blaster's wife Hattie, shouted, “Blaster, someone called and wants
to talk to you!” He took the phone from Hattie and spoke, “This
is Blaster. Whatcha need?” The voice in the phone said, “Gramps,
I told the Jonah fish story to Duke and he said the strangest thing.
Gramps. Duke said, 'Ya know, Max. I feel a whole lot like I'm a
Jonah, not being honest with God, and going the wrong way to find
happiness and risking the lives of people around me.'”
Max's
voice in the phone became noticeably humble in asking, “Gramps. If
Duke and I was to come over, sometime after school, would you explain
to Duke and me how to keep from being thrown overboard by God?”
Tears
almost appeared in the eyes of the old coalmine dynamite blaster as
he realized God wants us to go fishing for those He loves. No license
is needed, and there's no limit.
