Chances are you know someone who enjoys telling “fish stories.” The term comes from folks who love to exaggerate the details of their fishing prowess to impress people, such as inflating the size of the proverbial “fish that got away.”
Fish stories are just part of being human. Most of us crave attention, though we might never admit it, and if it takes a little dramatization to get there, what’s the harm? I am as guilty as anyone. There is a particular memory I find myself retelling frequently.
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Years ago I went through an exercise phase and became an avid bicycle rider. One morning out on a ride as I was accelerating downhill, I had to swerve suddenly to avoid a pothole. I lost control of the bike and fell off. I banged up my shoulder and had a little road rash down my arm and leg, and apparently my head hit the pavement because my helmet had a crack about an inch long. Overall, my injuries were minor. I did have to call my wife to pick me up, not because of my injuries, but because the chain wheel had bent and the bike was unusable.
Faster speeds, growing potholes
Over the many times I have retold that incident, I can’t seem to resist the temptation to embellish the story a little. The speed I was traveling gets faster. The size of the pothole gets bigger. My injuries get more severe. The crack in my helmet gets longer. Hey, the more intense the details, the better the story, right?
I suppose there’s little harm in telling a fish story once in a while to impress friends, so long as we keep in mind that God always sees us the way we are, and it’s important that we do as well.
You don’t need to impress people. You are created by a perfect God who made you precisely as you are supposed to be. You are designed to walk a unique path you have been given the ability to endure. You will need God’s help to accomplish your journey, but you don’t have to tell Him a fish story to impress.
He already loves you, and you already have His attention.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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