Big Fish

When Was It Written
On Sunday, July 22nd, my wife and I welcomed our third child into the world. We named him Fisher Brooks Wood. This article is just a little story about being the pride of being a dad.  This article appeared in the worship guide on Sunday, August 19th, 2007.

Who Wrote It
Kevin Wood, Pastor


BIG FISH
When I was 11 years old, I caught my first “big fish” - a brown bullhead catfish weighing a tad under 4 pounds. I caught him in a small, shady mudhole in Maryland, about twice the size of a backyard swimming pool. My choice of bait that day was a half-chewed hot dog dangling from the end of a cane pole (my family never was one that took fishing all that serious). Truth is I was just lucky to catch that big fish. But the fact that I was lucky didn’t diminish my pride one bit. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I pulled him out of the murky water, slimy brown and dripping with sludge. His mouth kept gaping open as he took in those first breaths of air. His eyes were bulging with fear as the light of the sun hit them for the first time. He was all but begging me to put him back. But I took the catfish home, my dad cut him into a handful of filets and we put them in the freezer. Now I know this sounds strange, but from time to time I would peek in the freezer where the filets were stacked, reliving the moment I had reeled him in, my first “big fish” moment. I was so proud just staring at that fish. When we moved two years later, he was still in there.

I had my second “Big Fish” moment just a few weeks ago. Late at night on Sunday, July 22nd, Fisher Brooks Wood was born into this world, a tad over 7 pounds. It only took a few minutes for his dad – that would be me – to dub him “Big Fish”. And just like that big fish I caught in a Maryland mudhole, this “Big Fish” came into the world begging to be put back. His mouth was gaping open with a cry in full throttle. His eyes were pressed shut like a vice, unaccustomed to the light now surrounding him. But after a few pokes from the nurse, he nestled into the arms of the mother who had carried him from within for 9 months. It was obvious that he found the arms on the outside as comfortable as the womb on the inside. For that’s when he calmed down, his fate much safer than the catfish. And I just sat there by her side in wonder, staring at this marvelous gift God had graced us with – Fisher Brooks Wood.

All through the night, I would slip out of the room and press my face against the nursery window to just catch a glimpse of him, making sure he was still there. I felt like I did when I was 11 years old staring into our freezer, a deep sense of pride overwhelming me. Except this pride was deeper and this pride was purer. This pride pointed to the fact that in reality, I didn’t deserve to catch this Big Fish at all. But God, looking down into this mudhole world of ours, gave this huge blessing in the form of this tiny boy to me, to my wife, and to our children. And now, we all have a Big Fish story to share. So welcome to our world, Big Fish. I can’t wait to show you around this mudhole world of ours. I can’t wait to tell you about the great, clear river above.

-Kevin 8/17/07