DR. FRENCH O'SHIELDS On the wall above my computer is the mounted bill, complete with picture and hook, of the blue marlin I caught in 1987. When threading my way through writing a column, I often look up at the wall to think where I am going with the column. Often my thinking becomes a diversion. As I stare at the memorabilia of my greatest fishing experience, I can‘t resist reliving it.

Yes, I know it has been a long time ago, but a good fisherman never lets his big fish stories grow silent. At least Ernest Hemingway didn’t. So, let me share my story with you.

It was a perfect day for fishing as our outboard motor boat left the dock at Zihuatenajo, Mexico, a small village on the Pacific coast. The sun was shinning brightly, no rain was predicted and both the wind and waves were relatively calm.

On board were our friends Jim and Susan from Dallas, Texas, Susan’s mother, my wife, Alma, myself and the Mexican boat captain and his first mate. This was our fourth day of fishing and we had enjoyed daily success catching various kinds of fishing weighing from 15 to 20 pounds each.

Today was to be different. Big plans! Huge adventure! We were going seven miles off shore to what is called the “blue water” and try for the big blue marlin. Since a young boy when my granddaddy and daddy took me fishing at the Broad River, I have been an ardent fisherman. But never had I attempted such a fishing venture as this.

The night before, I met an affluent businessman from Pittsburgh who told me he had fished every day for a week on a well-equipped boat in an effort to catch a blue marlin. His best catch was a couple of sailfish weighing 70 pounds each, but not a single blue marlin. He was so disappointed that he was flying home the next day. This was not encouraging news.

After reaching the blue water, I watched the first mate prepare two rods with bait fish. With anticipation that far exceeded my “know-how,” I took one of the rods and my friend took the other. The bait with a shiny silver teaser attached trailed the boat by some 250 feet.

Eagerly but patiently I awaited some action. Suddenly I saw the water explode, but felt no tug on my rod.

Obviously a strike, but the fish missed the bait. An immediate second strike followed, but another miss. The third time, a hit. Suddenly my grief turned into joy as my reel began to sound like a siren as the fish set sail for distant waters.

“It is a big blue marlin,” the captain yelled. “Let him run. Just hold on tight!”

Hold on tight I did! With the fierce charges of the big marlin, there were times I was less concerned about boating the “big one” as I was preventing him from pulling me overboard. As I tried to reel in some line between his charges, numerous times he came up out of the water and danced on his tail. What a magnificent and thrilling sight! Two hours later, after much prayer, total exhaustion and both hands bleeding, a 306-pound, 11 feet-long blue marlin was in the boat.

When I told my experienced fishermen friends on the South Carolina coast of my feat with only a rod and reel, no gloves, no electric reel and no fighting chair, they thought had fabricated a whopper fish story. Fortunately, I had pictures that proved my honesty. This event, plus the degree to which these experienced fishermen friends were impressed did wonders for my male ego. I even allowed myself to entertain the thought that finally I had arrived as a “REAL MAN.”

My ego trip was short-lived when I realized I was using the world’s standards to judge myself a real man. Subjectively I knew I was no more a real man after the catch than before. There are few things in which there is greater discrepancy than the difference between the world’s view and God’s view of what makes a male a real man. The world view, largely formulated by the entertainment and advertising industries is basically deception. Only God’s view is reality.

The Biblical truth is a man is a real man when he believes in and accepts God and His Son, Jesus Christ (Ps. 14:1); he has his priorities in line with God’s order (Matt. 6:33); he, if married, sacrificially loves his wife and disciplines his children but in love (Eph.5:25, 6:4); he has a Godly purpose for his life (Phil. 3:7-11): he perseveres under trials (James 1:12): he has courage because of his trust in God (I Sam. 17): and he is willing to express his appropriate emotions. Pity the man who thinks real men do not cry. Jesus did (John 11:33). A real man knows he is not perfect or sinless, but knows what to do when he has sinned — confession, repentance, seeking and receiving forgiveness from God and others (Psalm 51).

One of my most unforgettable experiences occurred after I transferred from Davidson College to USC. As a junior I was not required to take physical education classes with the freshmen, but because I like it, I asked and received permission to do so. The first class the coach had the 100- plus freshmen sit down on the gym floor, then shared these words: “I know, some of you think to be a Christian is to be sissy and not a real man. Well, I want you to know that I am a Christian and dedicated to live for Jesus Christ. Now if you think that makes a man a sissy, I now invite anyone or any group of you to come try to take me to the floor.”

Total silence.

No takers.

No one dared to scratch their nose or ear, fearing their movement would be misconstrued. Then the coach spoke again: “Now I hope you know being a Christian is not being sissy. I hope each of you will, if you haven’t already, accept Jesus and give Him your life and become a Christian and a real man.”

The main male characters of the Bible were real men both in the Old and New Testaments. They faced hardships, suffering and death as only real men can do. Jesus was a man’s man, the most real man that has or will ever live.

Men, if you desire to be a REAL MAN, pattern yourself after Jesus. Make Him your role model. Do not allow the world to squeeze you into the world’s image. for those who do are the real sissies.

Dr. French O’Shields is a Gaffney native and a retired Presbyterian minister