WRITTEN BY DR. JIM GRASSI
Trey McKinney has an amazing story about his rise to fame at the age of nineteen. As a boy, he had a natural gift and curiosity for fishing, a grandma and dad who often took him to a local pond or lake where he would dunk some worms for catfish, bluegill, and the occasional bass, and the opportunity to be mentored by distinguished angler Rick Cheatham. Rick coached Trey on all aspects of becoming a great fisherman and becoming an authentic and committed Christian.
By thirteen Trey’s success was nothing short of amazing. He won all three major Junior Bass Fishing Championships and was on his way to becoming a real pro. By seventeen, he started fishing Bassmaster’s EQ Tournaments. After placing third in Angler of the Year point standings with top-ten finishes in the Bassmaster EQ Tournament, Trey qualified for the important 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series. This was a big money tournament for the most experienced fishermen in the country. Imagine going head-to-head with all the big names and having a camera and judge in your boat watching your every move – at nineteen.
Everything was going well for the young angler when a really nice bass broke his line right next to the boat. The big bass swam away with the minnow-shaped lure in his jaw – perhaps costing Trey a shot at placing high in the tournament. Trey sucked up his pride and moved to another spot. After breaking off a good one with the camera rolling, he felt really discouraged and embarrassed. Then he remembered God’s Word and that everything happens for a reason. He also remembered that Rick had warned him not to let negative thoughts control his mind and reactions as he faced disappointment.
Trey recalls, “I left the spot of disappointment and fished another nearby area. Something kept telling me to ‘go back’ to where I lost the fish. I moved back to my spot and in a few casts caught a nice one. When I went to grab him by the jaw, I saw the lure that had previously broken off was in its mouth! I was floored and almost dropped the bass.” Not only was Trey the youngest person to fish in this big tournament, but he actually won the contest with an astounding 130 lbs. of big bass in four days of fishing!
Sometimes life’s disappointments lead to greater opportunities. Sometimes “the one that got away” leads to something better. Sometimes “going back” propels future success. God’s ways are certainly mysterious:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
We must not lean on our own understanding but rather trust in God’s perfect plan and follow His leading, even in the face of disappointment, even when He says, “Go back.”
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6
Personal Application: What happens when you don’t trust God? When has your disappointment led to a better opportunity? Ask God how He wants you to respond to a current disappointment.
- Taken in part from More Than a Fisherman: Making Disciples Who Make Disciples by Jim Grassi, D. Min.
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5