Catch and Release
A long time ago, in a pond not so far away...
On a cool spring afternoon, two little boys began a journey of adventure. Little did they know that much excitement, battle and tragedy lay before them. Both boys had dirty blonde hair and wore mismatched clothes. The oldest had blue eyes, the younger brown. They thought they were family, but knew they were best friends. Both boys were filled with joy to be invited into the grand adventures of their fathers who dearly loved them. They were both too little to tie or bait a hook and casting would prove to be a challenge at first, but much to their delight and the delight of their fathers...their training had begun. They were learning how to fish!
I’m thankful my dad taught me how to fish. I've experienced many things about adventure, excitement, and tragedy growing up on a farm in rural Arkansas. I’ve also learned that life and death seek to exist in the same space. In that pond, there are bream, bass and catfish. There are also snapping turtles, cotton mouths and invasive species of fish who somehow always find a way into the pond. The presence of fish excited us and the presence of snakes didn’t frighten us, because our dad’s were with us.
Here’s what I’ve learned, that I didn’t know then...fishing wasn’t about the fish. Our young hearts wanted to keep every fish we caught and our dad’s seeing our delight let us fill our stringers. However, what we really wanted was to be invited up into adventure and to have our father’s delight. As we grew in years and training we began to understand not every fish was needed on the stringer. We began to learn the value of catch and release. As we grew, we gained a strength learned from our fathers to also catch/or snag snapping turtles and snakes and eliminate the invasive fish. Like warriors in battle, we could protect ourselves and others from the threat of a snake bite. Sometimes these rogue species paid what we call the trespassing fee and sometimes they were relocated far away.
Tragedy hit when my best friend was killed in an accident at the age of 12. During that time I began to slip from a journey of adventure and exploration with others into isolation which allowed many snakes and snappers and other invasive species of fish to make their way into my pond. Somewhere along the way I lost the importance of catch and release and the desire to fish at all.
It's been over 40 years since that first invitation into adventure. The pond I’m talking about now is me. My heart, mind and soul. The snakes, snappers and invasive fish are lies and tactics Satan has used to instill fear, paralysis, avoidance, etc...anything that takes away life. The fish were still there as well, but the infestation of things that bring death overshadowed the things that bring life and they could not grow.
The excerpt below is from the first blog I ever wrote, It’s Time For You To Be Revealed.
In the beginning was a boy, and the boy was God's, and God was the boy's. He was made in God's male image. Through him many things were to be made; without him, things God had to be made with him would not be made. In him was his Father's delight and that delight was the fuel of his adventure. The boy was to shine in the darkness, but the darkness distorted his image, and he succumbed to the brokenness of the darkness.
...
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5NIV
Fishing one of the ponds on our farm that (like my heart) still needs some work, but is still capable of offering life and joy.
Why all this talk about fishing? For over a decade now I’ve been on a different adventure. One to rescue that boy who had “succumbed to the brokenness of the darkness” by allowing the pond bank of my heart to be cleared so the Light that cannot be overcome can shine and all the elements of life can grow. I’ve been learning to rid it of the snakes, snappers and invasive species that linger in the shadows ready to rear their heads and strike or starve and attack the desired fish. As the terrain of my heart is being cleared, I’m able to enjoy and experience life again, through a journey of catch and release. The journey has been catching and releasing the lies whispered to me by the enemy about who I am or am not, as well as who others are or are not. Lies released to the cross of Jesus and replaced with the truth of who I am in Him. This makes fishing for fish and for men filled with hope and joy in the midst of the battle and is a much grander adventure.
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
When asked which was the greatest command, Jesus gives this answer in Matthew 22: 37-40,
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Do you have thoughts swimming around that you know aren’t good? You can be free of them. Let the Father teach you to fish. Learn to catch and release.
Here are the ingredients I believe scripture paints about catch and release for your heart:
God so loved the world that He gave His only son (John 3:16)
The greatest command is to love God with all your heart soul and mind, and then others like yourself (Matthew 22:37-40)
Jesus says “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
Paul tells us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Take all the things growing in and around your heart and clear the terrain for the Light of Christ to shine. Catch all the thoughts swimming around in your head. Some are joyful...catch them, keep them, enjoy them; these are life giving and can be released to freely swim around to grow and be caught again and again. Some of these don’t belong and were placed there from outside sources. Like invasive species of fish who look similar but are alien to the design of your pond and starve out the desired fish, are the lies we believe which hold us captive (stunt our growth). These fish along with the snappers and the snakes need to be caught and tossed. A very different kind of release, but release nonetheless. Every one of these thoughts needs to be taken captive and released at the cross where the ultimate sacrifice of love was made by Jesus and replaced with the truth He wants to speak in their place through the power of His resurrection.
What does the terrain of your pond bank look like? What invasive species of fish, and snakes or snappers (whispers, lies, and contracts we write with darkness due to the tragedies and traumas of our life) have made their way in?
The adventure and journey to clear the terrain of your heart and catching and releasing isn’t intended to be taken alone. At Revealed Image, we sit with people in their pain, listen to their stories, and partner with Jesus in prayer for inner healing. As we’ve sat with Jesus and learned to catch and release for our own hearts, we long to sit with others who thirst for freedom and growth. We do this by partnering with Jesus through Freedom Appointments and Events created for encounters with Jesus. We’d love to come alongside you on the pond bank of your heart. Please feel free to contact me at joseph@revealedimage.org, and if you’re married, we’d love for you to join us at the Redeemed Marriage Retreat May 19-22, 2022.
