Stuck on the Bottom

I have been butting heads with my life lately. I want it to go one way, it is going another. Or staying another, you could say. I feel stuck. And I've been thinking and praying a lot about all of that lately. Last night I was thinking about my Daddy, and his analogy of being "Stuck on the Bottom" popped into my head.

As you have probably figured out, I grew up fishing with my Daddy; in Cocodree, Grand Isle, Pensacola... I was (and am) my Daddy's fishing buddy. We fished the bottom with weighted lines a lot to get the best trout. And I had a special propensity for getting stuck on the bottom, tangled up in rocks, garbage, a dock, even old graves in south Louisiana, where the coastline recedes yearly. I would, of course, get immensely frustrated and yell (probably scaring away all fish in the vicinity), "Daaaaady, I'm stuck on the bottom!" And he would patiently come and untangle my pole- usually laughing at me. I still do this to him. But every now and then, I would just think I was stuck, when actually- I had a HUGE fish! This would, of course, lead to squeals  and demanding my pole back and much excitement.

My senior year in college, our sorority asked the senior's parents to write a letter of encouragement to their daughters stepping out into the world after graduation. Guess whose parent was the only one who responded? Yep, my Daddy. This was his life advice to me, and I still keep it tucked in my Bible.

Dear Sweetpea,
I know this will be read in front of your sorority sisters, so I will try not to embarrass you. First, I want to tell you how much I love you. Words can't convey it, but those big hugs can. I am the luckiest daddy in the world (for those of you that don't know it, she still sits in my lap- and I love it). I also want to say how proud of you I am. I would be just as proud of you if you were at another school, but it is fun to have another gung-ho Tiger Fan in the house...
I don't know what is coming after graduation. This is an anxious time in your life. I understand. I have been through it. Don't be scared to make a decision. We can talk over the pros and cons, but but you always have the final say in your life. You have a good heart and common sense, continue to use them. Even if you make a decision you regret later, it can be corrected. Your mother and I will always be behind you. Remember that whenever you think "you are stuck on the bottom," it just might be a big fish.
Love, Daddy

#1: If you aren't crying right now there's something wrong with you!
#2: This is great advice for all of us any time we're facing a tough spot and what seems like an inability to make a change. You might feel stuck, but you never know what's really happening.

Thank you, God, for a Daddy that believes in me.

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