Baby fish to Big Son fish

A baby fish is swimming in the sea. Early on it notices a few things in its brief experiences. First, there seem to be three types of situations wherein it finds itself. Three types of swimming environments. The first is where swimming seems normal. A second where it seems very easy to swim. Lastly there is one wherein swimming is much more difficult.

Now Baby fish is not alone, for he has Momma fish who is with him. She is there to teach him and lead him. So it is one day that Baby fish asks Momma about the times it gets difficult to swim and why that is. Momma for her part tells Baby that where they live and swim, there are different currents. In each of them, the water moves at different speeds. If the water is not moving so quickly, it is very easy to swim. If the water moves more quickly, it becomes more difficult to swim.

To this Baby fish simply replies, “Ok Momma!” He makes a baby fish face and they move on.

Now Momma is a wise fish and takes good care of Baby fish. She knows just how long to keep Baby fish swimming in the various types of water. In due time Baby fish begins to grow up just a little bit, and she decides it’s time to explain a bit more of the different currents to Baby fish.

One day Baby fish notices that what was hard for him to swim in at first has now actually become easy for him. Momma then begins to instruct Baby fish on the different types of currents in which they will swim. She explains that the food they eat is for the most part brought to them along the different currents. As such, when they get hungry, they go into the faster currents to eat a while. As they do, Baby fish is also exercising his swim fins and getting both stronger and bigger.

Baby fish simply says: “Ok Momma!”

Now Momma leads Baby fish for a time from one current to the next, and he grows a little stronger each time. With each there is also a little more food available. In not too long of a time, Baby fish is no longer Baby fish, but has grown into Toddler fish.

Toddler fish looks over at Momma fish one day and asks, “Momma. Why is it that I am growing and you are not?”

Momma replies to Toddler fish that, “in order for her to grow, she will need more food. Yet, for the time being, it was good enough for her to be with him. To help him and teach him.”

Toddler fish simply says, “Ok Momma!”

Now, as Toddler fish and Momma fish remain in this present current, Toddler fish notices that he, too, has stopped growing. He turns to his Momma and asks her, “Why?”

Momma fish replies, “Well Toddler, you see. In order to keep growing, we need to keep getting stronger and eating more as we go. At this time and in this current, however, you’ve gotten about as big as you can get.”

Momma continues, “There’s more, Toddler fish. You see, in the next current, just as in the past, there will both be stronger currents in which to swim, and also more food. This will allow you to get stronger and grow bigger. However, one important thing will be quite different. In the next current and afterwards, there will be threats to you and I. They are called ‘dark fish’, Toddler. And while our kind of fish eats the food that floats to us in the current, these dark fish eat… us.”

Toddler fish’s eyes go big as clamshells, “Nooo! Momma! How can that be? I don’t want to be eaten!”

“I understand Toddler”, Momma replies. “But know that if we go, I will watch over you, and while I can’t promise you nothing bad will happen, I will do my best to keep you safe. In the meantime, we can stay right here, and this water will stay just as it is. You simply won’t grow any bigger.”

Toddler’s eyes shrink back down, and Toddler says, “Ok Momma! Here sounds good and safe.”

And so they stay in the same current for a little while. After a time, Toddler fish thinks he starts to grow again and turns to Momma fish and says as much. To which Momma replies, “No sweetheart. You see, you’ve not grown any bigger, but rather I have gotten smaller. You see, there isn’t enough food in this current for me to stay as big as I was. In time, I will become the same size as you and we will be more like brother and sister fish. For you see, at your present size, you are not big enough to have fish of your own, nor will I have any more like you. But we will be safe.”

Toddler fish exclaims, “But No Momma! I don’t want you as a sister fish. I want you as you are, Momma fish!”

Toddler thinks and swims for a little bit and then turns back to his Momma. “Momma, I say we go into the next current, for I don’t want to lose you as my Momma, and I don’t want to not grow bigger, either.”

Momma replies, “Good Toddler fish, I am glad for us both. Now listen close. When we go there, I want you to stay right behind me all the time, and I will watch out for you. Ok?”

Toddler fish replies, “Ok Momma!”

So, Momma fish and Toddler fish swim on to the next current, together. It was just as Momma had said, the water was stronger. While it was hard at first, the food was also much more plentiful, and that was wonderful. All in all, nothing bad did happen in this current, even though every now and then, Toddler would see a dark shape off in the distance. He even occasionally heard of something bad happening to others.

Momma and Toddler would stay in this current for some time. As Toddler fish ate more and swam in the stronger waters, he got bigger. So much so, that he was no longer Toddler fish. Rather, he had now become Young fish. Momma grew a bit as well, and in due time, Young fish began to feel a certain hunger within him. He looks over toward his Momma, and says, “Momma. I think I’m ready to eat more and try the next current to get even stronger.”

Momma fish replies, “Good Young fish. Understand, that as we move to the next current, and each one as we go further and further, the number of our kind of fish grows fewer and fewer, and the number of dark fish grows more abundant. It will get both more challenging and more dangerous, even as you will surely grow bigger and find ever more to eat. Are you sure?”

Young fish says, “Yes Momma. Let’s go together.”

Momma fish nods and off they swim to the next current. Now, in this next current, indeed the dark fish are no longer just glimpses off in the distance, but near and more numerous than Young fish might have expected. At the same time, both he and Momma are healthy and strong, and not much bothered by them. As well, every once in a while Young fish thinks he might have seen something else. He’s not sure what it was, but it was not dark.

After a time in these next few currents, though Young fish did indeed see a few attacks here and there, he managed to grow much bigger, for the food was plentiful. While the water was challenging, it was also welcome to his growing muscles and he greatly enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, where once Young fish swam right behind and up close to Momma all his life; without even much noticing it, Momma had begun to follow him. For he was now bigger than she. In fact, Young fish was noticing that his mother was actually struggling to keep up with him now as they swam. So, he turned to his Momma and asked her about it.

“Momma! Are you quite alright? You seem a bit slow of late.”

To which Momma fish chuckles a bit and says, “You are Young fish no longer, but you are now my Son fish. Indeed, you have done well, Son. I have not really grown slower, though maybe a bit. But in fact and in truth, you have grown so much bigger and stronger here. Quite a wonderful sight for a Momma fish!”

Momma continues, “Now Son fish, I want you to know something more about our lives. We do not grow stronger for ever and ever. In fact, we will ultimately all die at some point. Further, while you are closer to your beginning than your end, I myself am closer to my end than my beginning.”

Son fish’s eyes bubble up a bit, “But Momma. I don’t want to lose you! I love you!”

Momma’s eyes gleam for a moment in love. “Son, I love you so much as well. You see, in the end, just about every one of us will ultimately end up being taken by a dark fish. At some point we will just become too slow to run from them or fend them off. Now, now… be not upset, for that time is still a ways off for me. At the same time, I can see within you a great future and a hunger for more.”

She added, “Son, it is now that we must part ways.”

“You see Son,” Momma continues, “This is as high as I have ever come, and in truth, I would not have been able to stay up here if it had not been for you becoming as big and strong as you are. Even so, there is yet more for you to find and do up ahead. If you are courageous enough. So, you are to continue on to the next current, and seek to go all the way to the top.”

Momma continues speaking to Son. “Now pay heed even more, Son. As you rise higher and higher, you will find that as numerous as our kind of fish was down below, so the dark fish will begin to be as numerous above. Nevertheless, you are a strong Son fish! You are a brave Son fish!”

Momma finishes her wisdom with this last piece of knowledge. “Son, as you enter into the higher levels ahead, know one more thing. You may have caught a glimpse every now and again of something else along the way. You see, above us there are among the dark fish, certain, special Light fish. These Light fish will watch over you as you go. While they cannot be everywhere at once, when they are about, they will assist you as you have need.”

“Now don’t you worry about leaving me, Son, for I too had to leave my own parents once upon a time. If I had not, I would have never had the chance to have you as my Son. At some future time, you too will likely meet a fetching Daughter fish. Together, you will then have ever more children, which she will then raise as I have raised you.”

Son fish swims near his Momma fish. “Momma, I love you so much. I will go on and I will be brave and I will give my very best all the way! I could not have done this without you. I will never forget you and I will love you forever!”

Momma fish replies, “Son. I am so proud of you, more than any Momma has ever been of her own Son. You continue to do your very best, and who knows? It may be that one day, you might yourself become one of the Light Fish that swim around and help others! Take care now!!”

Momma fish then turns and makes her way back down a current, indeed not big enough to stay in this present water without her strong Son to watch over her. Meanwhile, Son fish makes his way up to the next current.

Now Momma had not lied, of course. For indeed, up here he was by far in the minority, with dark fish all about and far fewer fish like him. Very quickly upon arrival he is challenged, and though a bit unsure, being a strong Son fish, he fights off his challenger quite well. In time, Son fish will see all manner of confrontation, from one dark fish against another fish like himself, to many dark fish ganging up against him alone. To even other larger confrontations among many from both sides. In the end, while he surely witnessed not only severe battles, but the loss of fish like himself over time, Son fish himself both thrived, and grew much stronger and much, much bigger in due course.

Along the currents and as he ever did rise, Son fish both did see and was the beneficiary of many of the really large and wonderful Light fish along the way. Even a few times when it did not look good at all for Son fish, in to the rescue would come one or more Light fish, and they would help him to win the battle. (Re: Daniel 10:13)

All the while Son fish grew stronger and stronger until he truly did arrive at the top level of the water. In fact, Son fish grew so strong that no one much tried to challenge him any longer. Finally, as Son fish was swimming about, he began to hear a call within his heart. One that became a hunger within him. In a way it was like the hunger that drove him ever higher earlier in his life. Yet this time the call to his heart was to go back down to some lower levels from time to time, to watch out for and help when needed, other fish like himself, but smaller.

Thus we find not too much later, as Son fish is swimming about a lower level, he sees a momma fish swimming with her toddler fish. The toddler fish says to his momma fish, lifting a fin toward the area Son fish is in, “Momma! Do you see that?! It’s a Light fish!!” To which Son fish hears the momma reply, “Why yes, it is, toddler fish. I do hope if you ever have a need, you will find one like him nearby. For he is very good and very strong and will help if he can.” Then off they swim to their next destination.

Son fish looks around to see the Light fish the toddler fish was speaking about, and seeing no other fish nearby, he suddenly realizes that what his Momma had once said had in fact come true. Son fish had become a Light Fish, destined to help others as he himself was so many times helped by them.

He is now Big Son Fish. He is a blessing to those around who are like himself. Further, he is a terror to any dark fish he would come across his path. The end.