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The July evening transitioned from sunny and brutally warm to a bit windy and slightly cooler and then to muggy and completely still. We knew there were storms in the area, but we were fishing and simply didn’t care. In fact, the fish had started biting like someone had flipped the bite-the-hook now switch.

My grandson had been catching some of the largest Bluegill I had ever seen, especially from a small farm lake, but he had set his sights on one of the large Catfish. He had barely verbalized his desire when almost on cue, his rod bent nearly double; I knew immediately what was on the other end of the monofilament. The four-pound-test line sang as it was being stripped from the spool. Almost simultaneously, my phone rang, and it was Anita informing me there was a tornado warning in Walnut Grove, which just happened to be our location. My reply was, “Thanks for letting me know, but Brady just hung a monster, and we have to get it in.”

Mom and our Canadian friends heard all the commotion and scurried down to observe. It comforted me to know that when it comes to fishing, Canadians can be just as crazy as us southern red necks. Because by the time they arrived, the rain was coming in torrents, and the wind was howling like a freight train and nobody seemed to notice. It looked like the fishing version of “Caddy Shack”.

I yelled instructions above the sounds of the weather as the little guy fought the quarry down the dock, onto the shore, and 50 yds up the bank. After 20 minutes, I found myself knee-deep in the lake with a metal handled dip net while lightning danced all around.

The entire entourage shouted approval as the proud angler hefted the trophy from the net. With all his might, he lifted his prize for pictures. He brought the head up to his chest, and the tail was still dragging the ground. The fish’s girth was nearly as round as Brady’s and it weighed close to 40 lbs.

It was then and only then that we realized we were soaked to the bone and had narrowly escaped a tornado. However, no one cared and no one whined about the adverse conditions. No, on the contrary, for this Poppy, it was one of the best days I’ve had since my kids were young.

Matthew 4:18-20: 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. NKJV

I wonder why I gripe so much about difficult situations in life when I am supposed to be fishing for men? What does it take for us to wither because of the elements? How large does the storm have to be to capture our eyes and attention? Peter took his eyes off the Lord for only a moment and began to sink. However, as always, Jesus was there to lift him from the waves.

Let’s get so excited about the fishing that we forget about the fury. People are getting saved around Shiloh because people are following Jesus and becoming fishers of men. When the lost are found and the baptismal waters are rustled, God’s people should celebrate.

I am so thankful for the love and support from our faculty and staff here at Shiloh. I work diligently to be very intentional in scheduling the events, especially on Sunday. Consequently, we haven’t had many large events during the months of June and July. However, we are excited about the up-and-coming days in August.

Sunday, August 16th, Derik Lawrence, and his four K9 friends, with Send Me Ministries will uniquely present the Gospel in a way most folks have never seen.

August 23rd will be our annual Shiloh Homecoming. After the morning service, we will have dinner on the grounds in the FLC. Please, bring enough food for your family and one more. Be sure to invite guests to worship and fellowship with us.

Mike Griffin, our Georgia Baptist Public Affairs director will be speaking on August 30th. Mike works with our state officials at the capitol in Atlanta on behalf of Southern Baptist and our concerns at the state level. You certainly don’t want to miss him. It will be very informative, and if I know Brother Mike, the gospel message will be delivered as well.

To best accommodate our guests and attendees as well, we will be having only one 11:00 AM service on August 16th and 23rd. Please, plan to attend and support these exciting events at Shiloh.

Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 
 
God bless you all,
Pastor Derrell