Caught: Blake Bishop’s Faith Story
Faith stories are the culmination of confirmation at St. Paul every fall. Ninth-graders share brief presentations describing how they see God at work in the world and in their lives.
“I like fishing and being alone in nature. It’s freeing and everything else goes away. When you fish, many factors come into play; water temperatures, water clarity, weather, wind, the current, time of day, time of year, water depth, and what lures you need to throw.
When you catch a fish, the feeling is amazing. There is no other feeling in the world like it. Your hard work paid off. I’ve been caught. But this time, I’m not the fisherman. It was God who caught me.
As I got older, I started going to Sunday School and getting to know people my age. We learned stories from the Bible like David and Goliath. I related to that story because I was always small but I knew I was still capable of doing big things.
During worship, I spent a lot of my time going through the children’s bags with the Pop Its and coloring books. The children’s message was the part of the service I looked forward to most because it was fun, funny, and helped me to better understand the Bible. I was always jealous when everyone received communion and I had to fold my arms over my chest. A few times, I stuck out my hands for communion but the pastors still drew a cross on my head.
As luck would have it, my first communion was canceled due to COVID. Instead of getting dressed up and going to church, our family watched services on the couch in our pajamas. But soon, we started getting back to church and a socially distanced first communion was arranged.
I remember the feeling of taking communion for the first time. I was proud and felt like I belonged. I started listening to the services and learned some incredible things. I learned to help people who need it, to not judge others, to be kind to all no matter what, and most importantly, I learned that Jesus is always with me.
In middle school, I was part of confirmation. We learned about faith and did fun activities. Slowly, I started praying on my own when I needed Jesus. Now I feel closer to God and I know God is with me always. Because I’m caught.
I told you that I use lures to fish. Jesus has different lures; Bible stories, baptism, communion, Sunday School, confirmation, special people, and the promise of everlasting life. Those lures made me into the person I am today.”
Blake Bishop is a freshman at Pleasant Valley High School. His parents are Dan and Jessie Bishop. He has an older brother, Brody, and a younger sister, Hadley.
Christine Thompson
Blake, your Faith story is beautifully written from the heart. I love your fishing analogy, both in your personal life and Faith life. I look forward to passing on your story to my grandson, who is in college. Thank you!