Hook, Line, and Canned Love
posted September 23, 2009 - 5:28pmAs I start walking around the lake I come upon a man fishing, “catch any fish?” I ask.
“Yeah, look in the cooler.”
“Wow you caught a lot of fish!”
“Oh that is not all of them; I got three more coolers full in the back of my truck.”
I go over and investigate and sure enough all three coolers are plum full.
“What in the world are you using for bait?” I ask.
“Oh it is really simple, I use love.”
“You use love!”
“I sure do” he says. “Well... it's not really love. It’s canned love. I catch all kinds of things with it.”
I shake my head trying to understand.
He notices and begins to explain, “You see it is not truly love. It smells like love. It looks like love. Those I catch say it tastes like love, but it’s really not.”
I shake my head again and ask skeptically, “The fish talk to you.”
“Of course not silly! The people that I trap on the internet tell me it tastes like love.”
"You fish on the internet?"
"Yeah, and everywhere else also."
“So, how do you use it?”
“Oh it is simple; I put a hook in it.”
“Love with a hook?”
“No, its canned love with a hook in it.. People use it all the time. You know when someone gives you something out of so called love and then they require that you do something for them in return; that is love with a hook in it. Me, I don’t use it that way. I like to let people swallow, savor, and enjoy it. So, when I set the hook, it hooks deep in their heart, then I can usually get anything I want from them. You could actually say that I pull on their heart strings. They are so starving for love that I don’t have to go hunt for them; they actually search me out for love.”
“Wow,” is all I can say as I turn around and start walking around the lake bewilderedly thinking, ‘love with hooks in it? Wow, I know some religious people who do that. They show love just to pull on people’s heart strings to force them into church. I know other church people who actually love and invite people to go to their church, but are just happy if the person is growing more intimate with God. Wait, I know some guys who like to use canned love to get women into bed or take their money. Wow,’ I think, ‘how many times do I do things for people and then expect something in return? How many times have I used canned love?’
As I am walking around the lake, I suddenly realize I have walked up on another fisherman.
I distractedly ask, “You catch anything?”
“No, not a thing.”
“What are you using I ask?’
“Love,” he replies.
‘Oh no here we go again,’ I think to myself, ‘but, this doesn’t make sense. The guy up above was catching a lot.’
So I ask him, “the guy up there is catching a lot with love, so why are you not catching anything?”
“Oh I am not actually trying to catch anything.”
He pulls his line out of the water and he says, “See no hook”
“Why are you fishing with no hook?”
He looks at me amusingly, “I told you that before, I am not actually trying to catch anything.”
“So why are you here?”
“So, I can love. You see, people need love and are starving for love. So, by example I teach them that they all actually have an abundant supply of love inside themselves. And if they are starving for love, all they have to do is give love. Then, their love bank will be full of love from the love that they have given. You see people do not starve from not receiving love; they starve from not giving love.”
I shake my head trying to wrap my brain around that concept.
“I see you still don’t understand,” he says to me, “so let me use an analogy. A candle is not fulfilled when a light is focused on it; it is fulfilled when it is lit and gives light. It is the same with people; people are not fulfilled by receiving love, they find fulfillment by giving love.”
A mumbled question passes out of my lips before I can retrieve it, “Love with no hooks?”
“Yes, love with no hooks. I let them remain free; if they so want to love in return great, but that is not what I am looking for. This world is starving for love and maybe these fish will realize by my example, and love others and so feed themselves and the world. You see it is not food that this world needs to survive, it is actually love.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh yes it does, but not to you right now. You should try it sometime. It is an awesome way of life. Nothing dies, nothing is caged, nothing is bound, no guilt, no manipulation, and everything lives and is still free to be all that they were made to be.”
I exclaim, “What is in it for me?”
“Nothing.”
As an awkward silence permeates the atmosphere, I think to myself, ‘Nothing, wow this is weird. But, maybe I will have to try this strange way of life of loving others with no hooks.’ “Hey,” I ask. “Does your love come from a can?”
“Oh no my friend, this love does not come from some formula in a factory, it can only come from your heart. And, it is only truly love, if it has no hooks.”
“Where can I find this type of love?”
“Only in your heart my friend… only in your heart.”
“Oh yeah, you said that already.”
As I turn and wander off I call back, “What is your name?”
“Why do you ask my name, you already know it. But, if you need a name for me to share with others just call me, ‘The Lover of your Soul.’”
I Knew It! I Knew It! I knew I had see him somewhere before. As I spin around and excitedly exclaim to him, “I want to dance with you again!” he was gone.
Just like Jesus, always disappearing just when you realize it is him.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1st Corinthians 13:4-13
Scripture text taken from:
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM
Picture:
Copyright of picture has expired
Taken from:
Date Retrieved: 9/19/09
This article was motivated by MJ Dakota and her article 'Easier to Give than to Receive', click on link to read her excellent article.
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Comments
Erfana.. so true...so true..
Great sentiments. Thank you for reading and the comment.
Love
Love is a hope that makes everything so beatiful..Visit my blog..http://newkyork.blogspot.com
FC4J Glad to see what you look like...
Thanks for putting a face to your comments. Appreciate you stopping by to read. So glad you enjoyed it.
jtrader..you obviously got the point of the story...
Thank you for reading and for your comment. You are correct, we do have to watch out for those who give only so they can receive. That is not really love.
Yes
my blog
I think I am his number one fan.
Following the link now I think I am his number one fan.
Absolutely Heart Pounding Life Changing Love!
Hey Wdzzz,
Beautifully written and nicely conveyed. I was there, walking along the shore. I was there listening to the conversations. Everything you wrote was so tangible. I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
Thanks for working so hard to create such a moving work.
FC4J
PS - Yep, it's me.... after 2 years of Xomba, My real photo is up! :)
FreeCracker4Jack Join the ranks of starving amateur writers competing for your attention and praises! SIGN UP HERE
Good writing
Great article Wdzzz.
I really enjoyed reading it.
I think it also teaches us to look out for people who may only be giving so that they can receive.
Dear Kate
Dear Kate,
Who would you rather have live in your house for the rest of your life, a child that has grown up in your house that only brings grief, heartache, bitterness, who is conceited, arrogant, and down right condemning to all, or a child that through some unfortunate circumstances was seperated from you from birth, whom you have never known, who is good, loving, caring, kind, good natured, peaceful, full of joy, and is loving to all that is around them?
I know probably with you I would want both of them, yet sometimes a decision has to be made for one reason or another, and many religious people are going to be very surprised at who spends eternity in heaven and who doesn't.
Keep up the good work of baffling others with your uncanned love
Religion and Love
Well, I am not religious. I do not know whether there is a diety or not.
However, that being said, this is a great sentiment, I try to live by the uncanned love myself and it irritates those who believe if I give something I should get something in return.
To me, if I have something that I can offer then that's it. They get what I can offer. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?
This is a wonderful article.
kate
Warmest regards and best intentions,
Kate
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