Let's get one thing straight right off the bat, I'm from Oklahoma, and in Oklahoma we noodle for fish. Noodling, or as we say it here in the Southwest, "noodlin' " is a method of fishing without a pole, without anything really except your bare hands. It's been legal at times, it's been banned, it's been ignored by the rangers for the most part, but to let you know the gist of how it's done it's simply this: you step about knee to thigh high in some of the muckiest dirtiest water you'll ever see on God's green Earth, and you plunge your arms into the muck about elbow deep searching for and feeling for those wigglin' catfish that tend to cover themselves with the muddy silt of the deeper wider rivers and the lakes in our fair state. When you find one you can try to wrap both hands around the slimy monster but the best way to catch a catfish if you're noodlin' is to cram your bare fisted hand down its throat, lift it up by its midsection, and call it done. Cheaper on bait, but let me tell you, those boys have teeth! Best to wear gloves.
Why am I telling you about the ins and outs of noodlin' anyway? Well, I like fish stories I guess. I'm a big fan of the time(s) Jesus took a few fish and broke them up to feed thousands of men, women, and children on the sides of the mounts in Israel. I also like to tell the story of how Jonah had his piss-poor fishing experience, and how my grandpa said Jonah learned really quickly that God has a plan for everyone and everything -- you see, the fish was sent to the very spot Jonah was cast out of the boat, and the FISH obeyed God when God sent it to a part of the world where those larger fish don't often go to -- the FISH obeyed God; let that sink in for a minute. Jonah ended up doing exactly what God wanted him to do in the first place before he was swallowed by our gilly friend, but the FISH obeyed God the first time. I wonder what sort of reward the big guy received for being on target? Maybe it wasn't a fish at all. Maybe God sent an angel shaped like a whale - - we'll have to ask when we get to Heaven.
Another fine fish story in the Bible is the one where Jesus tells the bad guys that He does in fact give to Caesar that which is Caesar's and that you should give to God that which is God's. The Pharisees came up to Jesus claiming He was telling his followers to disobey Caesar and not to pay taxes properly. Jesus thought about it for a second and probably smiled before He sent someone to the lake (just over there) and told them to pick up the first fish -- I wonder if they noodled to get that done. The fish was already prepared! The fish had at some point, and we don't know at what point, had swallowed a simple coin, but the coin was dropped in the water at some past point, and the fish was curious about it and tried to eat it only to find out that it wouldn't go down his throat - - it was stuck in his mouth. I say "his" but it could have been a girl fish; we don't know. We do know that Jesus KNEW the fish! He knew the EXACT fish to send directly to the disciple He had sent to the water to fetch the first fish found. This was the first fish found - - and in that fish's mouth was a coin, a certain coin, a coin that was large enough or valued enough to pay all of the tax Jesus owed or may have owed. HOW DID JESUS KNOW?
Here's the point I like to make when I tell people about Jesus and all He's done for me; just relax and let Him have every last care you may think you have. He prepared the fish! He prepared the guy or gal that dropped the coin in the first place! He KNEW it was going to happen, when it was going to happen, that it was going to happen, and then He knew the Pharisees would come up asking about taxes, and He knew He could send a random disciple to the lake to pick up the first fish he found! C'mon, Jesus has organizational skills that are literally out of this world. We cannot out think or out do God. Let Him have your every single teeny tiny care -- and obviously the big cares, that goes without saying.
Whatcha gonna do with all that spare time you have after you stop worrying? I don't know, go fish I guess! Wear gloves.
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