Catch and Release

If you have ever done much fishing you probably know what the term "catch and release" means. For those of you who have not heard this term, it means that generally there are too many people fishing and too few fish so you catch and release. In some areas, only catch-and-release fishing is allowed so that there will be fish there for "everyone" to enjoy. Charlie and I have actually done this when we didn't feel like cleaning our catch at the end of the day (which usually means we didn't catch a lot of fish).

I'd like to take that thought of catch and release a little further. I am reading a book Same kind of different as me. It is about a relationship between a husband, Ron, and wife, Deborah, and her faith in action and a man by the name of Denver. But I can actually sum it up in one word - friendship.

Ron befriends a black man, Denver. Denver wants to know why Ron wants to have anything to do with him and Ron tells him that he wants to be his friend. Denver tells him that he knows all about "catch and release". He tells Ron "If you is fishin for a friend you just gon' catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend, but if you is lookin for a real friend, then I'll be one. Forever."

That really spoke to me. A Forever Friend. Do you have any? Are you a forever friend? In John 15:12-13 Jesus said "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Some people are so busy counting how many friends they have that they forget to be a friend. To lay down your life for a friend means to lay aside your time. You make time for your friend. Their need becomes more important than yours. I have been told that if have five friends I am blessed. I believe that is true.

A friend knows your hurts. A friend can look through the outward appearance and know when you have a need. A friend is not afraid to hold you accountable.

I never am crazy about catch and release when Charlie and I go fishing. I figure if I have gone to that much trouble to get my stuff together to go fishing and spend a lot of time trying to catch something it is worth keeping. So I am thinking - I don't play catch and release with friends either. I want to be a forever friend.