Fishing
I love fishing. Most people do!
Fishing requires several key components. Normal fishers will rise early. It is as common belief that the fish are more apt to bite early in the morning, thus rendering the trip a numeric success. Fishing requires patience to the utmost. No one is both an impatient fisherman and a good fisherman. They simply do not coexist. Instead, a fisherman is patient to the point where a fish can land on his line and he STILL does not pull in the hook immediately. Rather, he baits the fish further until the fish is unable to retreat. Then he pulls in the line, having used patience as his most deadly weapon.
Finally, a fisherman needs silence. This is to be differentiated from patience. A fisherman must learn the art and essential n nature of being perfectly silent and still. This often results in long periods of time without speaking, singing, or noise of any kind. In other words, boredom is a temptation. But what results, a successful catch is well worth the wait, silence, early morning, and every other sacrifice.
Now, fishing is often a great metaphor for life. This includes recovery and the journey that awaits for the man or woman. seeking to recover from gambling addiction.
Like the fisher, we must rise early, taking ahold of the day. Setting that standard is essential in our recovery pathway. We must be patient – with life, with others, and not the least, with ourselves. And we cannot neglect the benefit of sitting in silence and stillness. We will find many golds nuggets for life and recovery if we separate ourselves from the noise and bustle of life, and sit in stillness. This not only regains our focus, but it is using the human capacity that we were created with by Almighty God.
Healing and recovery will not come by us standing idly by. We were created to fish, and in so doing, journey towards our healed selves.