THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

On Memorial Day the family went out in search of the illusive dolphin.  We spent a good deal of time and no little fuel trolling out at about 680 ft.  Finally the shout, "Fish On!"  I was handed a rod and told to "Start reelin', Mama."  It was a gorgeous bull dolphin.  Someone shouted, "It must be at least 15 lbs."  I wrestled it up to the boat and just as we tried to gaff him, he went under the boat and cut the line.  Drat!  Of course, as you might imagine, the more the story is told, the bigger the fish gets.  It always amazes me that we can always tell you exactly how much it weighed and how long it was even when it got away.  That is just one of life's mysteries.  I wasn't really expecting it when the fish hit even though we were looking for it.  It was just suddenly there and I felt somewhat unprepared.  Isn't that how it often happens when we miss opportunities to share Jesus with someone or to be Jesus with Skin on to someone in need.  As Christians we look for those opportunities but somehow when they happen we are caught unprepared and too many times the chance passes and we're left with a dangling line.  Later on we did catch a few smaller ones and took them home for a wonderful feast.  Yet, I still think about that one that got away.  There have been times in my life when I have been talking with someone and after they left I realized that there had been an opening in our conversation and I missed it.  I am so much more concerned about that one that got away than I am about that fish.  My prayer is that the next time, I'll be ready.  How about you?