The Perfect Catch: Lessons for Life from a Bass Fisherman - Hardcover

Wright, H. Norman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0764222953 ISBN 13: 9780764222955

Publisher: Bethany House Pub, 2000

Synopsis

An inspirational exploration of Christ's metaphorical use of fishing and fisherman to develop meaningful lessons about faith offers sixty devotional readings that wonderfully relate the experience of fishing with a religious life. 20,000 first printing.

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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Best Is Yet to Come What’s the ultimate bass fishing experience for you? Ever thought about it? If you haven’t, go ahead and dream a bit. What would be your peak experience? I’ve heard a number of opinions. Here are a few: “To be able to go to one of those lakes in Mexico I always hear about and catch one hundred fish a day.” “All I want is one week straight of nothing but bass fishing in a place like Lake Fork in Texas or Arkansas’ Beaver Lake.” “The best for me would be size—yeah, that’s it. I’ve caught some 10-pounders, but I’d like one, say, about 15 to 17 pounds. That’d be the ultimate for me.” “The best? No question—it will be when I step foot on my own Ranger boat—a 20- or 21-footer with everything on it.” “To me it’s making it onto the pro-tournament circle. I don’t even have to win big ones. Just to be on there and to come in near the top would be it!” “The best is getting to the Classic—and then winning it! I mean, what else is there?” “I want to get to the Bassin’ Big Bass World Championship. If I make it there, I’ve arrived.” Any of these certainly would be a great experience—at least you hope they’d be. Sometimes you accomplish your dream and discover it’s not what you expected. The “best” really wasn’t the best. My pastor shared a story that put a whole new slant on ultimate experiences. It seems an older lady who knew she would be dying soon went to see her minister. She wanted to talk to him about her funeral arrangements. Now, this minister had heard some strange requests during his years of ministry, but hers topped the list. She said, “Pastor, when they lay me out in that coffin I want a fork placed in my hand.” He said, “A fork? What do you mean, a fork? Why that?” She replied, “Well, when we were children, we always had dessert, usually Jell-O or pudding or a cookie. But sometimes as Mama was clearing the table, she’d say, ‘Children, keep your forks.’ That meant dessert would be something special—like a rich, moist piece of chocolate cake or a piece of fresh-baked pie. When Mama said, ‘Keep your forks’, we knew the best was yet to come. I’ve had a pretty good life here on earth. But it’s nothing compared to what’s ahead of me when I die and see Jesus. That’s the best. And it’s ! yet to come. I want people to know. That’s why I want you to put a fork in my hand.” A few months later the elderly woman died. And when people came to pay their respects, there she was, all decked out in her best clothes in a coffin with a fork in her hand. Her best had come. What about you? Are you looking for the ultimate experience? If you know Jesus, whatever happens here on earth, your best is yet to come. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will become like his glorious body.

-Philippians 3:20–21

About this edition

• Publisher: Bethany House Pub
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0764222953
• ISBN 13: 9780764222955
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 287
• Illustrator: Macauley Sheryl