Fall Fishing on Hayden Lake

This past week I was lucky enough to sneak down to Hayden Lake at Honeysuckle Beach for an hour of fishing.  It was a beautiful evening, the wind was calm and the air was crisp, fall was in the air.  I was surprised with how warm it was.

I started out using my bait caster that recently took a swim in lake Coeur d'Alene, throwing a chartreuse buzz bait on 30lb braided line.  Unfortunately, the fishing was very slow.  I switched to my other rod that was also outfitted with 30lb braided line and a Strike King midnight black 5/8 spinner bait.  I brought in a fish, I don't know if it was a pike or bass, whatever it was stayed very deep so I couldn't get a very good look at it.

Even though I was fishing and trying to relax, my mind was racing with thoughts of everything I needed to do for work.  Here was a beautiful evening and an inviting sunset and I was stressing out about work.  For some reason my thoughts drifted to the story of Peter walking on water with Jesus.  This story, found in Matthew 14:22-33, describes Peter walking on water with Jesus.  As I read this story,  I am reminded just how little faith even the disciples had in the presence of Jesus.  

²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat was already a considerable distance^[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
 ²⁵During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
 ²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
 ²⁸"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
 ²⁹"Come," he said.
   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
 ³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
 ³²And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

My favorite verse in this story is 31 where Jesus reached out his hand to catch Peter, even when he doubted Him.  When Peter focused on Him, nothing else mattered, even the wind died down.

Jesus was a fisherman too, and He has the power to calm the wind.  This parable reminds me that I need to put my faith in Him always and pray that He will help slow down the "wind" in my life.   
 
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