Photo by Yael Gonzalez on Unsplash
THE MARRIED LIFE
Our grandson Elijah’s last request before he started third grade this year was to go fishing. Not like in Aunt Dorothy’s backyard canal where you catch small kine and throw them back. He wanted to catch a fish you could take home and eat. His Papa (father) assured him that if he caught such a fish, Papa would cook it. With one weekend left before school started the request fell to Grandpa, my husband Tom.
Grandpa was not at all sure that this could be accomplished, but he was determined to try. Early Saturday morning he took Elijah, and his younger brother Erik, to Nanko Fishing Supply where they purchased two additional bamboo rods, some tackle, and shrimp for bait.
They headed out to Heeia pier, which fortunately was still open during the pandemic. One prayer answered. A number of fisherman were already present and set up, but there was still one space left open in the corner, next to the smelly trash bin.
Grandpa set up his big pole and cast out deep, “for hammerhead sharks!” Then he helped the boys with their poles for fishing pier side for the small fish by the coral. Unfortunately, the reef fish were much more experienced than the fishermen and quickly nibbled off the shrimp without getting near the hook. Tom said he must have helped change the boy’s bait about 50 times during the next two hours.
During that time the neighboring experienced fishermen, using collectively ten poles, only caught two baby hammerhead sharks, which offered the only excitement of the morning.
Erik, age five, had become bored about halfway through and entertained himself by playing with the tackle box. At the two-hour mark all agreed they had given it their best shot, and grandpa shared the kind of things grandpas say, “That’s why they call it fishing, not catching,” and then he started packing up the gear.
With his back to the boys Grandpa suddenly heard, “I got a fish!” He quickly turned around, and sure enough, Elijah’s bamboo pole was bent and a fish was on the line. Most of the reef fish they had seen up to that point were really small, just 2-3 inches, but this one was a lot bigger, about three times the size.
Elijah could not have been more excited. It was a beautiful fish! They put it in their bucket with some water. It was still alive when they brought it back for Grandma (me) to see it. When I saw the fish, and heard their story, I was amazed. I told Elijah that I had prayed that he would catch a fish. Elijah said, “I prayed too.”
Now Grandpa warned Elijah that the fish might not be the kind you could eat. But when he brought the boys home to their Papa, Papa reached into the bucket and grabbed the fish out with his hand. He took it upstairs to their apartment, with the boys in tow, gutted it, and cooked it with onions, tomatoes and carrots, with the boys eagerly watching.
In answer to a prayer, Mary Duddy’s third-grade grandson catches a fish big enough to eat. (Courtesy photo)
Papa then ate the fish and said it was delicious (the boys did not want to try it). Papa said that although the fish was not long, it was thick, and there was a lot of meat on it.
When Tom told me the story, he said, “I really don’t know where that fish came from, it’s like the Lord sent it there. We were about to leave in just a few seconds. There’s no way that was just luck or happenstance. It’s just like when Jesus filled Peter’s net with fish.”
Thank the Lord for small miracles! They mean so much and show how kind the Lord is. Never doubt that God is at work in the world and in our lives today.
