When was the first time you lost footing? When I was a boy I used to take a lot of fishing trips. Mostly by myself to nearby ponds and tanks located near our suburb. The great thing about being raised in the country and learning how to really fish is that many people in the city did not know what they had in their own back yard or how to get the most out of it. Funny how that mirrors an assortment of things. For the sake of the story we will stay on the fishing trail. I learned early that fish would eventually move to areas where there was less traffic (constant fishing). That being said they would usually hold up in an area that was hard to get to by fisherman. For the dedicated young angler, the more willing you are to take risk the better the chances are of landing a good one. That may mean wading out to a lone rock or scaling up an embankment to get just the right position to display your lure. I can recall numerous times when that rock would have some wet moss on it or the embankment would have some loose ground on it and cause me to loose my footing. The result being a long wet ride home on the bicycle and usually no fish.
When I apply that to today i see some striking comparisons. I have spent a lot of time pursuing the big catch in my life's journeys. Some say its ambition, fulfillment, material gain, status, you plug in whatever consumes your extra time (if you have any). I have caught a few keepers even at times, pretty wife, good kids, good job, nice house etc. All of these i have displayed on my wall for all to see the trophies i have acquired or "the blessings God has given me" which is still the politically correct way of saying "because i am so good". Still there is an emptiness and a longing for more. That has to be it right? All of these things are good but if i really was thankful then i should get great satisfaction and rest. So again I venture out into the risk to make a good cast of my lure. I wade out to the rock searching for the bigger catch, the next fulfillment when all of a sudden i loose my footing. Life and reality erupt in my world. Discovered affair, loss of a job, financial trouble maybe all of the above. Intense panic sets in feeling like a million needles sticking be all over my body which is the adrenalin. As i plunge into the water the thoughts race through my head "how did i get here" or "how could i be so stupid". Ever been there? I am glad because that little story has nothing to do with the point i want to make.
What would it look like to you if everything that you had built your life upon, every decision you made, every thing you had was all built on lies that you told yourself. For instance: "It was just a strict upbringing", or "he's really cool when he isn't drinking." How about "I really and truly deserved it." Would that cause someone to loose their footing? It seems that i have. I am in the water flailing about and wearily walking back to my bike. The beautiful thing is that i am aware that the fish i didn't catch may have just saved my life. It wouldn't have satisfied anyway. The problem is in the wanting outside of myself.
Today I make the choice to look at the pond of life as a gift that was given to just enjoy. I don't have to extract trophies from it or even seek my approval from it. I choose to just pull up a chair, cast out a line and enjoy the moment.
