When we moved to Carmel in 1982, one of the first things we did was to join the Carmel Racquet Club. I had already been in the area since Labor Day and Janet moved down with our three children on Halloween weekend that year. I had been living at a hotel near downtown Indy, in room 1231, and went home several times during my extended stay down here. Anyway, it was lonely at times and I found myself going to the racquet club to have dinner. I would watch TV or talk to people who I had met and eventually became friends with.
After Janet and the kids moved here, we eventually established relationships with other tennis players. CRC was also the place that I met Jack. He was an avid outdoorsman and played tennis with our group on occasion. He loved tennis, but not as much as hunting and fishing. He could never get enough of the outdoor life. We all lived relatively close to each other and it wasn’t long before Jack introduced me to the sport of fly fishing. I loved it…
Jack suggested the types of rods and reels to buy and taught me how to catch fish on a fly line. Once I did that, I never had another desire to fish with a spinning or bait casting reel. There’s nothing like fly fishing! For those of you who have been with me for a while, you know that Janet and I try to head to the Greenbrier several times a year where I fish with another friend of mine, James, who guides me out in wild, wonderful West Virginia. I get to use many of the skills that Jack taught me.
At some point, I decided that I wanted to try and tie my own flies. It may sound crazy but I loved that as well. Jack would show me shortcuts and make suggestions – then I would even invent some of my own creations. I ended up with a tying table, a ton of materials, hooks, magnifiers, glues, threads and all the other things one needs to tie just about any fly. And I’m here to tell you that there is nothing like catching a fish on a tie you tied yourself… Priceless…
Years ago, Jack invited me to fish with him in Aspen, Colorado. We travelled out there together and stayed with his brother, a resident of Aspen. We fished local rivers and it was wonderful to see Jack truly at one with nature. I don’t know that I have ever seen someone so excited and so happy to be on a river casting flies to trout. We were only there several days but it was wonderful. Several years ago I travelled with him to catch steelhead trout near the mouth of Lake Erie. Another fun trip. You just couldn’t be with Jack and not have a great time.
As the years went on, Jack developed some major health issues. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the same cancer that my Dad died from back in 1978. Then, he found out that he suffered from failing kidneys. Eventually he wound up on dialysis which he did for more than eight years. His heart started acting up as well and I don’t really know the extent of that problem but you could tell that Jack was less active, couldn’t be gone for more than a day or two because of his dialysis and he was growing weaker.
Earlier this year, Jack died… it was expected but still a shock to me. As much as you try to prepare, you just don’t know how deeply it’s going to affect you.
Last Sunday evening I received a call from a friend who let me know that he had a package for me. He was trying to help dispose of the rest of Jack’s possessions to make things easier on Jack’s wife. We met that night and he handed me a large bag filled with all of Jack’s fly tying materials. It was a wonderful gesture. I brought it home, set it in my workshop and by Tuesday, I sat down and relived our adventures together as I sorted and merged all Jack’s materials with my own. It was a quiet, wonderful morning of memories. But I could tell that Jack’s death was finally hitting me in a very real sense. I can’t even explain it.
When I think of Jack, I can’t help but be reminded of the fishermen who became the disciples of Jesus. Jesus met them were they were and made them “fishers of men.” The Scripture is full of references to the rivers and seas where Jesus travelled. Some of His best teachings happened on the water. Tonight’s verse recounts the call of Peter, impetuous Peter, who wrote several books of the New Testament himself. Peter tells us the words of Jesus when Peter and his brother, Andrew, were called. Matthew tells us, in Matthew 4:18-20, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”
That’s such an awesome call. Fishermen became “fishers of men.” My encouragement this evening is that God meets us where we are and moves us to a better place. My prayer is that we will all have confidence in Jesus to move us to where we can best benefit the kingdom of God. Like Peter, I like to think that throughout the years I have also become a “fisher of men.” And Jack? His ashes were spread on one of the rivers we fished together in Colorado.… Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…