Life Moves Pretty Fast

In the words of the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you’ll miss it!”

That is so true, and unless you’re my age, or more, you may not give those words a second thought now…..but give it a few years, and beieve you me, you’ll understand them so much, you’ll be glad you did or you will regret NOT stopping and lookind around

I’m just so thankful I come from a long line of folks who did recognize the importance of living each day as if there were no tomorrow. I remember it being a big deal for my parents to be sure to go see their elderly parents often. I remember them visiting close friends and family, regularly, and them coming to visit us. I remember our big family reunions. Those were “matters of the heart” that are still with me today.

I woke yesterday morning at 4:00 am, to get breakfast going for the gang before they headed down to the dam again to catch those early morning, hungry trout. When I went into the kitchen area, Staci was already there, had made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for later, coffee was ready and so was she…..since 2:30 am. I told her I think she lives by John Wayne’s famous words, “Daylight’s a’wasting. Time to get moving!” But it wasn’t yet daylight. You know you’re a “red neck” when your biological clock is set to the time that fish are feeding.

I’m so proud of this girl for so many reasons, but here in the great outdoors, I see her not as the girly, girl on the outside, but I see the girl that lives out loud with every breath she breathes. She’s an adventurer and outdoors-woman to the core, so just the thought of those fish being there for the taking, had her awake and ready to hit the day. You know you’re a “red neck” when you sleep in your clothes….ready to hit the ground running.

We had the birthday celebration all ready to go for Payton, the birthday boy — cinnamon rolls with a big candle in the middle. You know you’re a “red neck” when you’ve got the cabin covered with balloons, and because there was no tape for hanging, you use the cracks at door trims, the cords from the blinds, and the cabinet door knobs to hang them all. At 5:15 am, all the fisher-boys and girls were out the door — ready to bring in a haul of fish for tomorrow’s meal. What can I say? They love my beer-batter fish!

I stayed back at the cabin to make the birthday cake and get Payton’s meal request ready for their return — that beer batter fish fry — from our big take yesterday!

Not long after they left, Staci called me with disappointing news — the dam gates were wide open still which meant the waters were so furious that they couldn’t get the fish to bite so they returned back to the cabin for Plan B. Staci had a heart-to-heart with Lake Tenkiller’s Corp of Engineers for Lake Tenkiller. She was educated on why they had to release so much water out of the lake, which halted our big fishing haul. Apparently, Oklahoma has had above normal rainfall and if they don’t release the quota needed, there is potential flooding that will happen, especially, since Oklahoma is supposed to have more storms this weekend. That makes our little whining about not being able to fish, so unacceptable.

But, not to waste “daylight”, Larry and Staci headed to the river behind our cabin to try to find the secret for catching fish in those heavy moving waters…..and the birthday boy with his two friends tried another fishing opportunity. The management here at the camp said they could use their bait net to go down to the river and haul in shad to use for catfish and striper fishing tonight. Then the boys and Alexia and Staci used those rushing waters for good, and decided to raft down the river. No matter what they were doing — they weren’t wasting a minute of daylight. Once again, “All thing work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes.” Romans 8:28.

Like Ferris Bueller said, “If you don’t stop and look around, you’ll miss life.” Life is everywhere — in little kids, in our loved ones and friends, in our surroundings and in everything that God made. Fishing was slower for us — but no problem, the birds were still chirping, the waters were still flowing, and the enjoyment of each other — laughing at silly shenanigans of the boys making spears, climbing trees, and making more memories carried on.

I overheard those three guys talking about buying a cabin and splitting it 3-ways (they’re all already entrepreneurs). That’s the stuff that life and God’s goodness is made of — getting great ideas, being creative, living with a grateful heart in the ups and downs, and enjoying the littlest of things that makes the biggest of things seem so trivial.

How awesome it is to “Look upoon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” Psalm 27:13. So, to put John Wayne’s “Daylight’s a’wasting” to scripture words, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”