Two years ago, I tied my first plastic crawdad
onto an offset shank and, armed with my newly acquired internet
knowledge, I tried to catch Largemouth Bass on spinning gear. And I
succeeded… but not until the following season. For some reason I
had to patiently wait until the following fishing season to see any
success.
Patience is funny that way. As my family and I sit
around our Scriptures and talk about what patience is, I am struck by
how often it applies. Sometimes jobs don't come through right away,
or pay is less than expected, or technology fails, and the inevitable
“D” word jumps right to the front of our minds as we struggle.
No, not that “D” word. I mean "delay."
(I don't recommend swearing.)
The point is, sometimes we create our own delays
or come up against them naturally. Patience is the art of expecting
that delay and knowing that there is a greater reward in waiting.
Just like I tried and failed one year, I waited
patiently for the next opportunity to try plastics, and I succeeded.
Then I was successful with any plastic. Things worked out.
This year, I haven't caught a carp or catfish yet
on my fly rod, despite new flies and multiple, multiple attempts.
I've actually found myself withdrawing from attempts more lately
because of it.
But, as I think about it, I should expect this
delay, and wait until things fall into place. Because they will.
And when they do, they'll bend the snot out of my
rod. Just gotta be patient!
