Why I’m Still in School
Wednesday mornings this school year I’ll be in class finishing up my MA in Ministry Leadership. I’m not sure I’m the oldest student in class but, if I’m not, I’m certainly near the end of the age curve.
Which is no big deal, but it has caused me to think…
Or when I’m doing homework – reading many pages of theology or writing papers – instead of let’s say, steelhead fishing or working on house projects, I’ve thought more than once….
Why am I doing this?
But it doesn’t take long to fill in the blanks, because I’ve always known the answer.
It’s simply because I love to learn. It’s one of my personal core values.
That’s why I read what I read, it’s also why I’m occasionally taking up new hobbies and it’s why I’ve committed myself to finishing this portion of my education.
I believe learning’s a lifelong pursuit because God and the people and the world He’s created are His gifts to us and the best way to appreciate these gifts (and Him) is to continually learn more about them.
Also, truth be told, I’m a bit afraid of growing stale. I’ve convinced myself that if I continue to pursue learning I can stop the cobwebs from gathering and keep my mind and spirit young even as my body grows old.
Then there’s the stewardship God’s given me here at SpringHill. One of our core values is “we’re a learning and mission-driven organization”. So if this value’s to be a part of the fabric of SpringHill it needs to start with me. We can only be “a learning organization” when I’m “a learning leader”.
So why am I still sitting in a classroom? Well, for all the reasons above and, simply, I just can’t help myself.
The Rule of “Last”
David Lynema (left) and Randy Boike “Just one last fish and we’ve caught our limit.” Randy Boike, David Lynema and I knew we were pushing the edge of getting back to the lodge in day light. If we stayed too much longer we’d be in the dark for part of our 2.5 hour return trip which included crossing 5 lakes, shooting 2 narrow rapids and making 2 long walks through the woods.
But we wanted to catch “just one last fish.”
Maybe not the safest decision when you’re in the northern Ontario bush.
And it’s especially not good when catching that last fish leads to an unplanned swim in a very cold Canadian lake, at the end of a very long day, at the end of September.
But that’s what happened on the last day of the SpringHill fishing trip. I caught the last fish, a big one (and it gets bigger every day). As I was lifting it into the canoe (I was solo) it tipped and I ended up in a very cold lake wearing way to much cotton.
Thanks to the cool heads of Randy and Dave and the inflatable vest Denise has sworn me to wear when I’m fishing in a canoe I ended up rescued, dried and warm before anything serious happened.
The whole thing turned out to be a humorous adventure rather than a disastrous event, for which I’m grateful.
But I couldn’t help recalling the rule my friend John McAuley instituted at his camp, Muskoka Woods, called “the rule of last.”
Whenever his staff hears “just one last time?” or something similar, they’re to make sure that the “last time” doesn’t happen. Why? Because their experience tells them it’s that “last time” when many accidents occur.
And I now know this rule’s universal and should apply to fishermen as well especially when they say “just one last fish”.
Fishing or Golf?
I come from a golfing family so I “played” golf for many years. But I also come from a long line of fishermen, so fishing’s always been a part of my life.
But 15 years ago I came to the conclusion that I didn’t have the time to do both. I needed to make a Solomon like judgment – golf or fishing?
But the truth was it really wasn’t much of a decision once I got over the fear of telling my family and golfing friends I would no longer be part of the club, both literally and figuratively.
Why did fishing win over golf so easily?
For starters I’ve never been very good at golf so I find playing very frustrating. Being with family and friends is always fun, playing golf isn’t.
On the other hand I’m never frustrated when I’m fishing. If the fishing’s bad then it’s the weather, the fish or the lake’s fault, but it’s never my fault. So I’m never frustrated. When I catch fish, whether it was simple luck or my fishing skills, it’s always a bonus.
Fishing provides the same opportunity for fellowship as golf, except you’re in a boat and not a golf cart. But the level of concentration required in fishing’s significantly less. As a result I’ve had some of the best life discussions ever while fishing.
And as I stated in my previous post, I love being outdoors, but I prefer to always be in the “wild” versus the “manicured” outdoors. Fishing provides the opportunity to be in the “wild”.
Finally, related to being in the wild, I love adventure and fishing’s always an adventure, or at least I tend to make it one.
So Solomon’s wisdom proved right, yes golf’s good, but for me, fishing’s better.
