Time with the Guide

I spent this past week with my family and parents in Western North Carolina (WNC), about an hour's drive west of Asheville. We had opportunities to visit many of the storied locations and historical attractions that it featured, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingman's Dome, Cades Cove, the Cherokee Indian Reservation and Village, Fontana Lake and Dam and the Nantahala Gorge. One of the things that this mountainous area prides itself on is its numerous fishing locations and opportunities, in particular, fly fishing for several different species of trout. Well, I am definitely a novice when it comes to fly fishing - in fact, the last time I picked up my fly rod was last June on the Blackfoot River in western Montana, but you can rest assured that I was gonna have my fly rod in tow for a week in the Smokies! Based on all the activities in which we were planning to participate throughout the week, though, I decided that instead of booking a trip with an experienced guide to get a full appreciation and understanding of the tips, tricks and tactics of fly fishing for trout in that area, that I would rely on speaking with a guide long enough to get the quick and dirty update on where to fish and what flies and approaches to use. Needless to say, this turned out to be a poor decision, as even after numerous hours spent in a hatchery supported trout stream near our cabin, all I had to show for it was one four or five inch species of minnow. But all seasoned fly fishermen know it's all about the experience, right?...

Proverbs 1:7-8 (MSG)
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.

Just like my initial reaction each time I stepped into those mountain streams, this fishing experience was a 'shocking' reminder of how I often proceed into things without adequate preparation, training and instruction. I assumed that with my existing knowledge of fly fishing, along with the understanding that the stream I was fishing was stocked several times annually with trout, that I should be able to elicit at least a few trout to strike and hopefully be able to fight and land them in the process. I was reminded again as I have been before that although the initial expense of hiring a guide seems costly and unnecessary, that the training and instruction gleaned during those hours is invaluable to my future successes. Similarly, I all too often choose to rush into any number of tasks, assignments and activities without having acquired the necessary training and instruction to complete them successfully. Too often I choose to not spend enough time in communication and study with my spiritual 'guide' Jesus, before attempting something that only He can adequately equip me to complete and succeed. His desire is for us to walk with Him daily, receiving training and instruction to get through that day, rather than relying on previously acquired training and instruction to get us through tomorrow's challenges.

Are you choosing to walk with the Lord daily, learning from His training and instruction, or are you relying on your existing devices to carry you through your days? Fools despise wisdom and instruction.