I’m on vacation and yesterday went fly fishing. The fish weren’t exactly cooperating, and in fact we were getting skunked, but the weather was good. The Montana scenery was fabulous and I watched a big majestic bald eagle sitting at the top of a tree defiantly screaming at no one in particular.
I began to wonder why he kept yelling. There was a nest nearby and I thought perhaps he might be showing off for his mate that was sitting on it, or perhaps he was merely letting everyone, (including us), know that he was the monarch over this deep blue crystal clear lake.
It became evident that he wasn’t doing much better at fishing than us, and I saw him make several flights across and around the lake, but each time he came up empty handed too. After each flight he would light back at the top of the tree and begin screaming again.
Ahhh . . . I get it! He’s screaming out of frustration. I briefly thought about trying that myself to see if it would ease my frustration at not catching any of the arctic grayling and cutthroat trout that were purportedly teeming in this lake. I looked at our guide and my buddy T.K. and decided against screaming; they would wonder if I’d lost my mind. Instead I kept whipping the fly rod back and forth – back and forth until my arthritic elbow began to rebel and my back began to hurt.
I took a break and munched on some chips and a soda and mulled over the situation. True I wasn’t catching any fish; true my elbow was hurting; true I was getting sunburned due to the fact that I rejected my wife’s advice that I wear sunscreen; true if it was a fight between the fish and me, they would stop it and give the win to the fish.
Then I thought, “Wait a minute, how do I evaluate a win here?” Ordinarily I would be answering the hundreds of e-mails, texts, and calls that I receive daily, or I would be in a meeting, or heading to one. I would be answering a million tough questions that no one else wants to answer, and making decisions that no one cares to make. And I would likely be in balmy Florida where when we left it was 80 degrees at 5 a.m. and headed to the 90’s, or I would be sitting in another of a million airports watching the electronic board and my delayed flight, and wondering if I would ever get home.
Here in Montana it was nice and brisk and even cold enough where we could build a fire the first night. I was fishing in the midst of natural beauty of the likes of which I could not stop staring. I was watching a bald eagle and its mate.
My thoughts were interrupted when a loon let out an eerie scream. I looked and she had two little ones swimming along with her. I just smiled and thought, what does she have to gripe about?
I suppose everything is relevant. I could be sitting there madder than a bee being robbed of its honey, because we paid a guide that didn’t put us on any fish, or mad at the fish because they wouldn’t bite ,(even though we were putting our artificial flies right under their noses), or mad because I didn’t put sun tan lotion on and was getting sunburned, or mad because . . .
Or I suppose I could be thankful to God for allowing me a peek at his wonderful creation where I could admire and marvel at it in total awe.
Hmmm . . . Attitude over our situation is all about how we define a win – Is it not? If you think you have lost a battle today – Look a little deeper, smile, and thank God for loving you.
Thess. 5:18
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
June 12, 2014 – Click here to listen