Fishing For Men

Do you know someone who loves to fly fish? Well, have them listen in.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and it is not often I do this, but my husband Ken loves to fly fish. When he’s up in Montana, fly casting out on the Madison River, he’s in in the zone. And he never goes solo. He always takes ten or more guys, some of them unchurched, and the whole week of fly fishing is mainly a way to make Christ real to them. For Ken Tada, it’s his simple way of fishing for men. And so to encourage my amazing husband in his personal ministry, I wrote a poem. And since April is National Poetry Month, I just gotta share it with you today. So, imagine spring up in Big Sky Country, the tall grass along the river, meandering through that broad Madison Valley. Okay, well, rather than describe it more, let me put it this way…

 Floating the Madison, the skies bright and kind;
 The stream flowing gentle; no need to mend line.
 With caddisflies hatching and fish on the rise;
 It’s your day to dry cast for trout of great size.
 You’ve got the right bug, and the right fly line, too;
 The right weight of rod, from Orvis, brand-new.
 And just where the river flattens out over nigh;
 You see a fish dimpling for fat, juicy flies.
 Don’t miss this chance, Ken; don’t tense up with fear;
 A trout's by the rock and your boat's drifting near.
 So, keep a tight loop when you're loading your rod;
 Single haul line and breathe prayers to God.
 The fly you presented, in beautiful flight;
 It landed so softly; big brown took the bite.
 He's making a splash; keep a bend in your stick;
 Keep your line tense; this fight's getting thick.
 Playing him through, up and into the net;
 This fish is a trophy you'll not soon forget.
 You cradle him gently with water on gill;
 He’s released in the flow, and you smile at the thrill.
 This moment is special; this day, from the start;
 Other friends in their boats, each guy, a great heart.
 Ten, maybe more, each man and his match;
 Floating the Madison, there are others to catch.
 The stream flowing gentle; no need to mend line;
 The Spirit is moving, working softly on minds.
 With earnest prayers hatching and hearts on the rise;
 It’s your day to dry cast for souls of great size.
 The fish in this stream can't but illustrate well;
 The need to “catch” men into heaven, from hell.
 Life’s larger questions will help them to think;
 There’s adventure to live before their hearts sink.
 A beauty to rescue, a battle to win;
 A Savior worth serving who forgives all our sin.
 So, smile at your buddies and give them a nod;
 You’re fishing for trout, but you're fishing for God. 

Yep, that’s my husband. And just last week he was out fly casting, trying a new rod, a couple of new flies for his trip up to the Madison this summer. And already, he’s lining up guys to go with him. So, what does he think of my poem? Well, he loves the part about fishing for men. Nearly, I don’t know, over four decades ago, before I got married, Ken’s best friend said to me, “Joni, make sure you let Ken pursue his dreams.” I don’t know what he meant then, but I sure do now. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 4, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And that’s one dream I am more than happy for my husband, Ken Tada, to follow. Follow that dream, Ken. Hey, if you’d like a copy of my poem to give to a fly fisher guy that you know, then see us today at joniradio.org. You can download it for free at joniradio.org. And hey, get out there and fish for people.

© Joni and Friends