Ice-Fishing
A young lady decided to go ice fishing. She'd seen many books on the subject, and finally, after getting all the necessary "tools" together, she made for the nearest frozen lake. After positioning her comfy footstool, she started to make a circular cut in the ice. Suddenly---from the sky---a voice boomed, "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"Startled, she moved further down the ice, poured a Thermos of cappuccino, and began to cut yet another hole. Again, from the heavens, the voice bellowed, "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"The young lady, now quite worried, moved way down to the opposite end of the ice, set up her stool, and tried again to cut her hole. The voice came once more. "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!" She stopped, looked skyward, and said, "Is that you, Lord?" The voice replied, "NO, THIS IS THE MANAGER OF THE ICE RINK."

  

Yes, this is a "Blonde joke" and yes, I took the liberty to call the "blonde" a young lady.  I don't particularly care for "blonde jokes" as such, but this one spoke some truth to me about myself and many other Christians. First of all, we sometimes search and search for things that simply are not there.  Sometimes we are hard-headed and think we know what we are doing when we really don't.  We refuse to follow simple instructions God has given us.  And the most obvious truth of all this joke presents... We get so caught up in "fishing"  or whatever our routine might be on any particular day, that we allow man's voice to speak louder to us than the voice of God. 

 

And now a poem about forging ahead even when things don't go as we plan... 

 

Forging Ahead

Why do I wander aimlessly it seems,

As I endlessly whine and kick and scream?

Some days I want to pull the cover over my head and let it stay,

When God is telling me this is the day that He has made.

I feel chaos surrounds me in this daily routine.

I stumble and fumble ignoring the most obvious things.

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, I know;

Therefore I should rise above some things and just let them go. 

Jesus conquered death; He is alive, not dead.

God said I am not the tail, but the head.

 So, why do I wonder what it is I am supposed to do,

When God's Word tells me He will guide me in all truth?

Today may I learn to recognize the voice of God which speaks to me.

Today may the Lord open my ears to hear and my eyes to see,

As I forge ahead toward the greatest promise that He has given:

Those who endure to the end will be saved and see Heaven. 

 

jbp