When I was a young boy, nothing made me happier than to go fishing or hunting with my dad. However, there was one time when a fishing trip with my dad didn’t turn out to be all that fun. Looking back, however, the trip was a life lesson that is coming in handy these days. We had taken an aluminum boat out on the Ross Barnett reservoir with the hopes of catching some fish. The boat was equipped with a small outboard motor which made moving around the big lake possible although fairly slow. That is until it decided to quit working properly in the middle of the lake. For some reason, my dad could only get the motor to go into reverse. That wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that a major storm was heading in our direction. We began to make our way back to the boat ramp (in reverse) until it became apparent that we could not make it before the storm hit. We could, however, make it to the Highway 43 bridge in time. The decision was made to shelter in place under the bridge.
Shortly after we made it to the bridge, so did the storm. It was worse than expected and as a young boy, I was scared to death. Waves were crashing over the side of the boat and the water began to fill the boat. I lowered my head and began to pray silently. My dad looked back at me and said, “How are you doing?”. I nervously said, “ I’m fine”. I didn’t want him to know that I was afraid. He smiled and just continued to hold the boat steady. It was clear that he and I did not share the same concerns about our situation. This was my first lesson from that day. Don’t worry, just trust your father. I was about to learn my second lesson. The storm was beginning to weaken and it came time to head back to shore. Keep in mind this was before you could simply check the weather on your phone. We weren’t completely sure that the storm was over. But, at some point, you just have to go for it and have faith that your father will get you home.
These past weeks of sheltering in place reminded me a little of my time under that bridge. My dad passed away many years ago and is not around to hold the boat steady anymore. However, I place my confidence in another Father that has always been there for me. The one I prayed to on that day. I am certain that just like my dad, He understands my concerns, but doesn’t share them. As it approaches the time to stop sheltering in place and slowly return to life, I’m pretty sure that life will repeat itself. Just like before, I will say a prayer for this to be over. I will tell you I am fine even when that is not entirely true. But, ultimately, I will trust my Father to get me home.