Thanksgiving Day reminds us to pause and acknowledge the many blessings our good Lord has bestowed on us. Have you considered giving thanks for the catfish in your life? What do I mean by that? Well, check out this story I heard from Minister Chuck Swindoll many years ago.
In the Northeastern United States, codfish are a big commercial business. There is a market for eastern cod all over, especially in the sections farthest removed from the northeastern coastline. But the public demand posed a problem to the shippers. At first, they froze the cod, then shipped them elsewhere. But the freeze took away much of the flavor. So, they experimented with shipping them alive, in tanks of seawater, but that proved even worse. Not only was it more expensive, the cod still lost their flavor, and they became soft and mushy. The texture was seriously affected.
Finally, a creative shipper solved the problem in a most innovative manner. The codfish were placed in the tank of water along with their natural enemy - the catfish. From the time the cod left the East Coast until it arrived at its westernmost destination, those ornery catfish chased the cod all over the tank. And, you guessed it - when the cod arrived at the market, they were as fresh as when they were first caught. There was no loss of flavor nor was the texture affected. If anything, it was better than before.
Each one of us is in a tank of particular inescapable circumstances. It is painful enough to stay in the tank. But in addition, there are God-appointed 'catfish' to bring sufficient tension to keep us alive, flavored, alert, fresh, and growing. They are part of God's method of producing character in your life, and mine.
It's helpful to understand why the catfish are in your salt-water tank. Our catfish may come in the form of a bully, a teacher or coach we don’t like, or another person we don’t get along with. It may come in the form of an attitudinal challenge within our own soul. Sometimes our catfish can be a setback or disappointment, even a catastrophic failure in business or some other major area of life. But regardless of what form our catfish comes in, its main purpose is not to destroy us, but to define and refine us — to keep us from becoming stale. It's all a part of God's project to shape our character so we will be more like His Son.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV
Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!