God's Grace Like Salmon

Can you catch it?

Hubby once told me that when the Holy Spirit speaks to him, it feels like an elbow in the ribs. I think he may not realize it was actually me, but maybe my elbow twitch was prompted by the Holy Spirit? In any case, when the church invited people from the congregation to go on a missions trip to Unalakleet, Alaska, he signed up. Little did he know he would return to Alaska five more times, returning home from each trip with a cooler filled with salmon.

The purpose of the first few trips was to do repairs on the pastor’s house, but in the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’, it’s all day and no night in the summer. What do you do if the sun never sets? Go fishing!! Salmon fishing became the evening activity for the team of missionaries. Donning borrowed waders, poles, and nets, they hit the river.

Stepping into the flowing water, Hubby immediately realized that in order to stand upright, he needed to lean into the strong current. Chest deep in freezing cold water, the waders kept him dry, but not warm. Casting upstream, he allowed the current to carry the lure downstream, attempting to catch the salmon swimming upstream. When he felt a tug on the line, he set the hook and began to reel it in. After fighting the fish, a buddy near the shore would help land the salmon with a net, one fish at a time. The locals told Hubby about the millions of salmon running. Hubby was trying to do what the locals told him to do, but he certainly wasn’t seeing millions of salmon.

I often find myself living life like Hubby fishing for salmon. I rely on myself. I trust in my abilities. I sometimes ask a friend for assistance. I may say to myself that the power and strength of my hands have produced everything I have. I have a strong marriage because I am a good wife who chose a good husband. I am a Christian because I choose to follow Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

“ You may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

So really, the goodness in my life is not a result of me, but rather God’s grace showered down over my life. I am here on this earth, living, because of the unmerited grace of God. What abilities I have are an expression of His grace, undeserved goodness poured out on me. My marriage is strong because God’s overflowing grace is the perfect example Hubby and I attempt to imitate in our relationship, and when we fail, His grace abounds. I am not a Christian because I choose to follow Jesus, but because He first showered me with grace by opening my eyes, ears, and heart, so I could see, hear and understand who He is and turn and be saved.

The grace of God is poured out on my life in overflowing abundance each and every moment of each and every day. I look back on my life and see grace upon grace. Today, I have already experienced grace upon grace. Tomorrow and evermore; grace upon grace.

The salmon were in the river in Unalakleet, but Hubby didn’t initially see them. The locals set their nets, and in moments they had an overflowing abundance of fish. Salmon upon salmon. The main sustenance for the coming year.

Set your net to catch gratitude. Minute by minute, you will see all the grace the Lord has showered over your life. Lean into the current of grace. Lure it in. Vacuum seal it. Store it in the deep freeze of your brain and heart. Stand in awe of our mighty God!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

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Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash