Brad,

That was very excellent, Brad. I wondered about that, and I kind of figured
it was about you and your sun. <smile>

Praying for you.

Love and Blessings,
Pat Ferguson



At 09:52 PM 6/16/04, you wrote:
>I heard this story of a man and his 17 year old son who took to the water
>in search of some father-son bonding time, and   fish action on the lake
>which they could look back on having  had a good days fishing and such
>unbelieveable stories  as having caught the big one and how it got off just
>as it was reeled up to the boat. The last outing was a bit shamefully
>stressed due to dad's impatience birthed out of a real desire for things to
>go perfect for the son's father/son fishing experience, and dad was bound
>and determined this time to not let anything which didn't go just right
>bother him  and spoil the day, so smiles and fun is the menu for the day
>.  Prior to the day they had looked forward to all week, they headed to the
>sporting goods store and checked out some new baits, made some treasured
>purchases.  Dad enjoying guiding his son into some artful purchases in the
>sport, and his son spending some of his hard earned money outfitting
>himself with a new tackle box, tackle, fish pliers, knife and all the
>necessities, an outfitting he can call his own. Then the big day came and
>fishing and bonding was all that was on the agenda. These two  took a
>leisure start of the day as they planned on fishing until dusk, so
>once  the gear was loaded, the canoe atop the vehicle, electric trolling
>motor, battery, fishing poles, tackle loaded  and all the fixings for a
>whale of a time were set and ready, they headed off to the lake about an
>hour and a half away. After arriving getting things settled, the trolling
>motor hooked up and raring to go, off they putted nice and quiet in search
>for lily pads, fallen trees and boat docks which prize bass love to hang
>out under. Time went on and fishing was not the best but they caught a few,
>only one keeper at this point, but the dad was just happy with his son
>having caught the first keeper and  spending time with his son, and the son
>I'm sure with the father, but of course son wanted action.   Soon however,
>he found himself in more action than he had hoped for. Dad, as he had all
>day, moved from sitting on the cooler to the seat according to the
>direction of the cast and to give his legs a bit of a break from the low
>canoe seats, this time had found himself in mid stride when balance was off
>with a slight rock and kaploosh. Before he knew it dad was swimming with
>first thoughts of wondering how he would get himself back up in the canoe,
>as canoes, as just exampled, sometimes are not easy to stay in let alone
>climb back in, but in that split second which he was having that thought,
>he noticed the canoe was not upright, cooler, tackle boxes floating and the
>canoe sticking out of the water like a freight liner going down  head
>first. Dad immediately started to call for the son to insure he was OK, and
>the son doing same for the Dad. After a moment or two of commotion and now
>insured both are OK, they hang on a floating cooler, and the half sunk
>canoe which would normally float but the marine battery and the trolling
>motor  lay at the bottom at the other end of the canoe. Luckily the water
>was less than 16 feet as  a quarter of the canoe stuck out of the water to
>help them hang on. Trying to negotiate how they would get everything back
>to the launch an eighth of a mile away and through myriads of lily pads,
>they thought to try to swim to shore 50 to 75 feet away to the nearest
>shore but entering weeds with flailing legs is not good. Soon a man came by
>with  a little boat, what was left of the gear, life jackets which were
>floating next to the cooler,  and one tackle box was tossed in the man's
>boat, and then the son, then the dad went aboard. Pulling up the canoe
>enough to remove the 70 pound marine battery, and hopefully a trolling
>motor still attached, soon they were on their way to the dock area holding
>on to a half filled canoe. After they loaded all the stuff back in the
>vehicle and started for home, dad began to think about the occurrence.
>After having thought a good pity party to himself about how he blew it, a
>perfectly good bonding time with his son, to show him a good time fishing,
>and cause he was so stupid, such a loser  to flip over the canoe, "How
>would he get his son back on the water now?" he thought. The hour and a
>half ride home was pleasant, slight joking, and of course dad was thankful
>that his son was not hurt or worse by getting caught by the trolling motor
>and plunged with it to the bottom of the lake, or not being able to get the
>fishing line off that had wrapped his son's feet  together when they waited
>for the boat to arrive. All sort of things began running through his head.
>Then he noticed something.  He noticed  something in his son that he
>wondered if the tables were turned, if he, the dad, would have reacted the
>same way. Dad noticed that although  it was his fault for the tipping, the
>son didn't flinch a bit at the loss of most of his tackle he just bought or
>his pole or anything. The son said virtually nothing. Sure there was a
>comment in the heat of things after safety was assured and hanging on
>to  the cooler about the expense of the sport and no more, but no anger and
>dad for having flipped the canoe. Dad began to see that had his son flipped
>it over, and once safety had been insured, he had difficulty seeing as much
>grace and disregard for lost property and could see some rebuke afterwards
>in attempts to make himself feel better after his losses, all at the sons'
>emotional expense. This realization not only hurt intensely but it also
>gave a new level of respect for his son, and for him, the dad, to look at
>things much differently. Compelled to show his son that lessons can be
>learned even in such times as these, he touted to his son... "You know? I
>learned something today." And before dad could tout his lesson his son
>said... "Yeah I did too. I learned that I'm not selfish.  Some tell me I'm
>selfish but all I could think of was that you were alright... nothing else
>mattered". Dad was taken back by his son's foresight in pondering more than
>his losses again but a lesson to be learned of integrity and etc. Father
>and son stood in agreement in regard of personal safety, but dad admitted
>to his son that after the fact of all being OK, and safety is secured and
>things are alright, the his son taught him  a lesson in grace and not
>blaming dad for losing his stuff. He held no regard for the loss to spare
>the expense of dad's mistake, which dad could honestly say he doubted
>that  towards his son had it been his son's mistake. A lesson which brought
>dad nearly to tears in thinking of it, and if pondering on it much more no
>doubt would do just that .
>
>If you haven't guessed by now this story is one I heard myself rambling
>through my head on the drive back today as I sat in soaking wet clothes and
>a gracious son who I am very, very  proud. And hopefully after I replace
>all his equipment, he'll help me pick out a small boat which is flat
>bottomed and meant to fish out of and once again brave the water, and keep
>the canoeing for paddling  leisurely.
>
>Brad
>
>
>Brad
>
>    Do not change your theology to accommodate a tragedy