How Good is Your Cast?

May 2015

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie

Copyright

“Let’s go fishing this weekend, Kathleen,” my husband said as we visited after a long day of work. My Stephen is a fisherman and until recently, the sport has been foreign to me. The Bible tells women to adapt to their husbands so  I am trying to embrace this new fishing world! 

Not long ago, we were invited to go bass fishing with another couple. I am always up for new adventure, however, all day of fishing was a little more adventure than I had signed up for. About six hours into the nine hour trip, my shoulders ached, my skin was sticky, I was tired and longed for a hot bath. To make matters worse, I had not caught near as many fish as everyone else.

“Why am I not catching as many fish as everyone else?” I asked Stephen. “We are all fishing out of the same boat and using similar lures,” I stated.

“Well, honey, it takes practice,” he encouraged.

“You’re doing good but the main thing you need to work on is practicing your cast,” he continued.

I began to watch exactly how and where the other three experienced fisherman were casting. Their cast were specific, not just in the middle of the lake. I began practicing my cast.It was not too long before I too, began to catch a few fish and even managed to reel in a 2 1/2 lb. bass. A year later and a few more fishing trips under  my belt, my largest catch to date has been a 31’ Red Fish and I was able to use my oversize tag!

I’ve noticed that life and fishing are similar in some ways. Two common denominators are casting and waiting… Life can be challenging and all of us have burdens. Financial woes plague many with our economy, problems in relationships challenge others, work stress press down on a number of people or caring for an ill loved one. What burden is weighing on you right now? Maybe you are trying to carry all the above burdens by yourself. If that is the case, I would suggest you need to practice your cast and wait on the Lord.

Cast means to throw forcefully in a specific direction. Psalms 55:22 says,“ Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).(AMP) When trouble lands on our shoulders, we are told exactly what to do-to throw them forcefully to the Lord. God knew we were not designed to carry the problems we would encounter so he offered to carry them for us. I love how he is the perfect gentleman!

I have encountered numerous trial in the past 6 years and have had the opportunity to practice casting my burdens on the Lord. To be honest, I would have crumbled by the weight of them if I tried to carry them by myself.  Sometimes I would try to cast them on the Lord but it was more of a toss, instead of a forceful throw. If we do not throw our cares forcefully and in the direction of the Lord, they can weigh us down and rob us of joy, peace and even good health. We must be intentional about our cast and practice it often.

I have been practicing my casting preparing for an upcoming fishing trip. I am also working on quickly casting my cares on the Lord also so I can reap the blessings God promises for me as I cast my burdens upon him. God loves you and me so much and I wants us to practice casting our burdens.  What burden do you need to practice casting? Will you join me in practicing your cast? Who knows what we will catch as we enjoy the adventures He has for us as we walk with Him.

Kathleen is a native of the Hill Country and is a writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people discover their value and worth. Contact her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog on www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com