I passed a fisherman on the beach today just as he was selecting among his lures. There were shrimp in a cooler, iridescent plastic lures, and shiny metallic lures. I watched him select from among them and throw his line into the sea. I think about the fish that will be drawn to these lures, fish that will bite on what’s offered and lose their lives as a consequence. What lures do I ‘bite’ on? I’m drawn to food and its physical pleasures, a lure I must confess I find very attractive. I’m often drawn to fancy gadgets, like the rubbery plastic lures that seem so bright. And, of course I’m fascinated and tempted by shiny lures—wealth, prestige, power, popularity. These lures dangle before my eyes more often than I admit, inviting me to nibble, taste, succumb. Lord, Please help me resist the lures that tempt me, help me see beyond them to your promise, and help me never to dangle false lures before the eyes of others. Amen.
I watch visitors to the island gather shells in plastic bags, celebrating each new discovery, comparing and praising one another’s latest find. The sea bring us so many gifts—delicious foods,
As we walked on the beach this morning, my husband spotted a lure caught in seaweed. He picked it up, carefully removed the debris from the multiple hooks, and decided
The days grow shorter and shorter. At supper’s end we turn on the lights, circles of brightness in the house. The decks are dark now, empty of flowerpots. Only the
