The Ballestero Blog

Too Drunk Too Fish

The Weatherman pronounced a beautiful October day. The World Series was underway and the fish were biting according to the Farmers Almanac. Life didn’t get much better than this for Alex.

He parked his old car in front of John’s Bait and Tackle Store. He said ‘Good Morning” to the clerk and looked to see if John had gotten any new crank baits in. Finding nothing new, he sauntered back to the cooler where the Night Crawlers were kept.

He opened the door, selected a carton and then stood there a minute. On the top shelf was beer.  Alex grabbed a six-pack, and headed for the counter. He paid for his purchases and for a bag of ice from the machine outside.

Within 30 minutes, Alex had backed his boat down the ramp, parked his car and was happily rowing to his special spot.

He stopped a minute to turn his portable radio on. He didn’t want to miss anything. The World Series was all tied up at 3 games each. Today was the final game.

The water was calm and the color of the water looked right too. He eased into the little cove where he always caught his limit and silently lowered the anchor.

The poles took a minute to get baited up. He made his casts and watched as the red and white bobbers lazily rose and fell with the water’s movement.

The sun felt warm and comfortable. Alex opened the cooler and pulled out a beer. He nursed his drink as he listened to the game. His team was having a good day. But this was only the bottom of the 3^st Inning.

An hour later, a bobber announced that another baby fish was trying to steal his bait. No keepers had taken the bait yet.

His daydreaming turned to thoughts of home. He’d had an argument with his wife last night. She was still mad at him. The kids were out of control again. To make matters worse, they were talking at work about downsizing at the plant. Maybe he’d go ahead and drink another beer.

The sports announcer’s voice rose with excitement. Alex hollered out loud as he heard the news of his team scoring a home run. He finished the beer to celebrate.

The bobber finally went under and Alex landed a keeper. He put another worm on his hook and cast back into the same area.

Alex opened another beer and sat there listening. The other team had taken the lead. That made him drink in frustration.

Other fishing boats could be seen around the lake. Voices announced their excitement over each new catch. Alex knew that he needed to catch enough for supper. His one wasn’t enough. He had to catch several more. He reached for another cold one.

The game ended. Alex was so mad and disappointed that he turned the radio off and opened another beer. He began to guzzle it down and then he opened the last one.

The gentle rock of the boat, the warmth of the sun, and the beer all helped relax Alex. His eyes slowly closed and his chin rested on his chest and he went to sleep. The bobber’s submerging was of no concern to him. Alex was too drunk to fish.

The story of Alex is more than just about a man having a bad day. This story is also about those who may never have tasted alcohol, yet are too drunk to fish.

KJV – Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

KJV – Rom. 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

The Message – Luke 21:34-36 But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.

The Message – Rom. 13:11-14 But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Evidently the fear 2,000 years ago was that the saints would become so intoxicated with living and the things of life they wouldn’t do much for God. If there were warnings issued then, there certainly should be even more issued now.

Our job as Holy Ghost filled children of God is not just to enjoy this glorious experience alone. We are to be fishers of men. That’s our calling. Let’s not get sidetracked with life and living.

How are we doing on our witnessing? Are we letting our light shine? Are we catching anything or are we too drunk to fish?