The Springs Revisited

Something from the tackle box:

       The LORD said to his people: "You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. Ask where the old, reliable paths are. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it. If you do, you will find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16a NET bible)

       Back in November I posted a story titled, “The Springs.”  In it, I described the marvelous Retreat Center that was the hosting site for my training classes in providing Spiritual Direction.  The story centered on my review of the small spring-fed fishing lake maintained on the property by the owners and staff of this wonderful place, which, weather permitting, I took advantage of whenever I had an hour or two before or between sessions.  It truly is a beautiful place to reconnect and commune with God, and get in a little fishing too, if that is helpful to the endeavor for you.

       Well, just two weeks ago I finished up my second year of study with the Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction under the tutelage of Sibyl Towner and Linda Holmes, and I made my last trip to The Springs as part of that process as well.  It was a sweet and wonder filled two days.  Let me start with the fishing stuff and get to the more important aspects of my trip to end this story. 

       When we arrived Sunday evening, at the end of a five-hour road trip down from Michigan to southern Indiana, my wife and I took a walk around the grounds to stretch our legs and relax before joining my seven fellow cohort mates for dinner with our teachers and the staff of The Springs.  At the end of our stroll through the woods and fields of this 150-acre patch of God’s creation, we came out of the wooded hills on the other side of the pond from the Towner home.  There we found Dick Towner, co-owner and chief grounds keeper of the Springs, trying his hand with the fly-rod.

       “Hey there, Dick!” I called out.

       “Why hello there, Mark,” he replied as he turned to greet me.  “I heard you were bringing your lovely wife along with you this time.  So nice to meet you Kathy!  I was just out here trying to snag something to show off to you when you came up to the house.  We’ve been catching some really nice big bluegills this spring.  Much nicer than what you were catching and wrote about last fall!  Say, I really enjoyed the write-up you did on us for your blog.  It really pleased us to read it.”

       “It was my pleasure, Dick, and I meant every word of it too.  Kathy and I will go to our cabin and clean up, and then come down to the house for dinner in just a few minutes.  I’ll talk to you then.  And you can be sure that I will be out here at the crack of dawn to find out for myself how honest you’re being about the fishing!”

       “You’ll see!”

       It was a lovely dinner with everyone that night. Dick reiterated how much Sibyl and he appreciated the story about The Springs I wrote for my blog, and how nice the fish were that had been rising to the rubber spider so far this spring!

       I was down by the pond shortly after sunup the next morning to check it out.  I had been to The Springs for class in both January and March but hadn’t fished, as it is too cold for rod fishing but not enough ice to go out and drill holes this far south.  I wasn’t as optimistic as Dick was about the prospect now, as I hadn’t seen anything much rising to the surface in Michigan yet, but all the other signs of the spring season did seem to be running about two weeks ahead of Michigan down here near the Ohio River, so I wasn’t without hope.  I had brought along my very best rod, a sleek looking, Ron Barch custom built, 5-weight graphite number.  It was a bit more rod than I like to use for bluegills, but I remembered that I had hooked up with a couple of pretty decent bass last fall and didn’t want to be outmuscled if that should happen again. 

       Dick hadn’t been lying to me!  In less than an hour’s fishing that morning I hauled in a half dozen nice hand sized or better gills, the smallest at 7 inches and the largest pushing 10!  The next morning was a repeat performance with the addition of a nice largemouth bass that vindicated my rod selection for this trip.  I felt as happy as Delmar did in the movie, O Brother Where Art Thou, when he said, “Come on in boys! The water’s fine!” 

Something to take home in your creel:

Sibyl breaking bread for us

       All fishing aside; my trips down to The Springs over the last two years have been a tremendous blessing to my life.  To be able to study and learn more about practicing the art of Spiritual Direction under the likes of Sibyl and Linda means far more to me than all of the fish I’ve caught incidental to that undertaking put together.  I will treasure this experience of drawing closer to God, and learning how to help others do the same through Spiritual Direction, all the rest of my days.

       As well, I will remember and treasure the time spent at The Springs with all of my fellow cohort companions from year 2; David, Deirdre, Tim, Jeanne, Ron, and Laura.  I will especially mention my good friend, Anna, who roped me into taking these classes with her, and who kept me company on the long ride down from Michigan so many times over the past two years.  I love you all so very much, and I hope we can all get together again – at The Springs!

 

a foot washing before parting ways

To learn more about The Springs, go to: http://www.thespringsindiana.org/