“Aw, Al. I don’t know. I know we gotta go, but I’m not sure I’m ready yet.”
“Whaddya mean, Parr? There’s a whole big world out there just waitin’ for us!
Don’t ya wanna see what’s out there?”
“Well, sure I do, but it’s just so comfortable here. And safe. I mean there’s plenty to eat here and we’ve found all the best hiding places. Remember how that gull made a nosedive for me and I darted under that rock? He slammed into that rock so hard he didn’t know what hit him. Wasn’t that awesome? Out there in the Big we might not have it so easy.”
“Listen, Parr, you just stick with me, your old pal Alevin, and everything is going to be just fine out there in the Big. We’ll figure it out together. We’ll find new hiding places and even better things to feast on. I promise.”
“All right, Al. I know we gotta go. It’ll be easier knowing that we’re going together.”
“That’s the spirit! Oh, this is gonna be so great! You and me on the adventure of our lives. I’ll beat you to the Big!”
“Not if I get there first!”
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So the two friends raced around the rocks and through the weeds with which they were very familiar until they reached the Big at the mouth of the river. They had lost the stripes of their youth and had taken on the silvery complexion of puberty.
“Looks like we really are ready for the Big now.”
“Yeah, we’re all silver like those big guys out there. You still scared, Parr?”
“No. I guess I’m all right now. Let’s go.”
Together they swam out into the Big, a place of which they had heard whales of tales, but had never experienced first-fin. Apprehensive at first, they scaled the nearby rocks a bit, just to observe how things were done out in the Big.
They saw some of their friends, tempted by a free lunch, get hooked on dangerous things that scooped them up out of the Big into oblivion. They saw others let down their guard and get swallowed by huge monsters. Others simply got lost in the Big.
Watching how their friends met their demise in the Big caused Al and Parr to become quite savvy in their daily routines. They knew who their enemies were (for the most part) and they knew how to avoid getting trapped in their snares.
Occasionally they would misjudge a fellow fish and get wounded, but who could blame them? Fish were fish, right? Wrong. Just because a fish seems to have much in common with you, it doesn’t mean they have EVERYTHING in common with you.
Once the two realized this vital fact of sea life, they learned to be more careful in their dealings with others. These lessons, and the fact that they never gave up meeting together to encourage one another, helped the two survive their seven year, two thousand mile journey in the Big.
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They met once again at the river’s mouth where, years earlier they had embarked on their journey. Returning to that spot, they noted how the seven years in the Big had changed them. They were larger now with adult markings and the wisdom only age can bring.
“Shall we, my friend?” Al raised a fin to their natal river.
“We shall.”
Even though they were aware of the imminent dangers awaiting them, the two salmon friends swam upstream in obedience to their call in life.
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**Alaskan salmon spend the first part of their lives swimming downstream in fresh-water rivers (In these immature stages they are called “alevin” and “parr”.). They spend the next one to eight years in the salty sea. They return to the river in which they were born to swim upstream, reproduce, and die shortly thereafter. In each stage they are vulnerable to more predators.
**As Christians we swim against the tide. The faith in Jesus which we profess is not the mainstream. We are vulnerable to attack from those who seek to destroy the Kingdom. Even other “Christians” may not share the same foundational beliefs. We must be vigilant to fellowship with other believers and encourage one another. We must keep our focus on our life’s purpose--to journey upstream--no matter what the cost.
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