Coffee Talk With God — Faith and the fish pond
The fish pond in my backyard was a gift. It wasn’t expected but like so many of the nooks and crannies in the temporary house where I lived in 2014, the fish pond outside my office window was a blessing. Every morning the little two-inch blue and orange colored fish rushed to say, “Feed me.” They knew the giant coming to their waters was bringing food.
One day they did not rush. Rather, I noticed more than one was resting on the bottom. Even during the winter when the cold forced them below the surface into the leaf debris at the bottom, they were never visible. Yet on that day one, two, no five were perfectly still, resting on the bottom.
Then I noticed one swim over to another as if to say, “wake up, the food is here,” but the little fish did not flinch. Before my very eyes another fish swam to the opposite side of the sleeping fish. As I watched, yet another then another stirred the water until the little fish must have thought, “alright already! I’ll get up!” This was not a fast process but one that took far longer than my imagination would have contrived.
Were they sleeping, laying eggs or perhaps dying?
This collecting, as if to come to the aid of the other fish, was something I’d never seen. As I watched it occurred to me they were a colony moving independently most of the time yet in a time of need, I witnessed this compassionate turnout for a little friend.
My senses heightened to think there was a human lesson in this observation. I’ve come to no conclusion about the little fish in the pond, except to say, we live in a fish pond where everybody goes about his own business until something happens. Death is certain, but it is not always expected.
According to my faith in Jesus Christ, how we treat one another on this side of eternity will undoubtedly affect our place in God’s kingdom. We will not live forever in this place called earth and what or who we believe in will not change that fact.
It’s easy to believe there are many ways to heaven and some say those who believe “Jesus is the only way” to eternal life are narrow minded. Intolerance swings both ways.
What I’ve observed throughout this extraordinary life, where I’ve experienced both living by the pleasures of this world and the chaste or holy life, is that the teachings of Jesus are a better way — not simply “The Way” — to eternal life. Because He first loved me, I will live in paradise.
Time is short and Father God will not allow His children Israel to suffer forever. They will soon cry out, “save us Father,” and then it will be too late.
The Holy Scriptures tell us, “every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, Jesus is Lord.” The question is, will you answer the Lord knocking at the door of your heart now or will you be knocking on heaven’s door after it’s locked? You have the choice today to seek and find, knock and the door will be opened. Ask. Question. Pray. He has the answers and is not intimidated by your questioning or confusion.
Like a patient fisherman, He’s waiting for the cork to bob.
Vicky Branton is the Teche Life editor of The Daily Iberian.