Return from Junior Camp

Every June a large number of children (ages 8-12) gather at a youth camp in Southern Indiana. I have personally been apart of this camp for 19 years. Many a fond memory took place at the camp ground. It is always exciting to see what God does in the lives of His children.
The theme of the camp was "Gone Fishing". Lessons on the need to get caught by God, avoid the bait of the world, and the need to go out and catch others was all part of the curriculum components. The kids had a great time and hopefully this is a lasting memory in their spiritual journey.
While the children received spiritual training during this time, I couldn't help but play with the theme in my own mind, so here is my thoughts on fishing...
I'm really not a big fan of fishing. I enjoy the water, the boat, and a nice day (but not when it is scorching hot outside). My fishing career involves approximately 7 trips and only two fish caught out of the 7 trips. Once the fish was caught it was a major let down because it was only a little blue gill. To be honest, I went fishing to enjoy nature with no real focus on actually catching fish. I have found that I am not alone in this process.
I said all that to say this... Sometimes we get so caught up in doing our job or our calling that we forget about the beauty in the journey. For some people, fishing is their livelihood, thus they are single-minded. Dare I say that the whole reason God gives us a task like fishing is simply to spend some time with us in the boat. There is nothing more irritating then going out fishing and getting stuck with someone that is so focused on getting fish that they suck the joy out of everything else. My suggestion to you today is pick up your pole and go fishing, but understand that the real treasure maybe the time spent with the people in your boat. If you catch a fish great, if not, there is always another day.