Give Thanks
One of the great privileges of living in Alaska is the ability to harvest salmon for our families. In some places people put out subsistence gill nets, in some places fish wheels, but for urban Alaska, our opportunity comes through dipnetting. A family of four can take over fifty Sockeye, which provides a good meal twice a week for a year. But here's the thing- only those who have packed gear for half a day, driven for half a day, camped for 2 days, driven for half a day, and then unpacked and processed fish for 2 days really understand what this involves.
Most of life's blessings come with work attached. Years ago my good friend Larry gave us a roadkill moose. A friend of Laura's, new to Alaska, said, "I want one." I responded, "Do you know how to cut one up?" She got a confused look on her face and replied, "What do you mean?" She thought that someone just filled our freezer with packages of meat from a butcher shop. When we explained that she would have to do it herself, she said, "Oh! No, then I don't want one."
This falls into the category- 'Be careful what you wish for.' Laura and I have always tried to make the work as enjoyable as possible. We involved our kids before they even started school. Enjoy God's blessings, give thanks for the work, and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on September 25, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions