Flying Fish

I was sitting on an airplane recently when I came across an article in the airline's magazine about an odd occurrence:  flying fish.  Now I have seen flying fish with my very own eyes.  I was on a ferry once in the East China Sea.  I was with a few friends, and the ferry ride took about 3 hours or more.  Somewhere along the way, people began to take photos, so I got up and went over to the side.  There was an entire school of flying fish traveling alongside.  It was an incredible thing to see!  This was before digital cameras...I had an old clunker of a 35mm, and I didn't get a good shot because of the speed of the fish. 

On my last trip to Japan, some of us were remembering this trip, and one of my friends said, "Oh, they're delicious!"  What?! Who eats flying fish?! Well, this brings me back to my article...

There is a tiny village in Yoro, Honduras that is located high up in the mountains.  Once a year, for at least over a century, the heavy summer rains of June or July produce a bumper crop of heavenly fish that fall directly from the clouds!  Scientists have been studying this phenomenon since the 1960's, and our modern ways have yet to determine the cause of the raining fish!  Lluvia de Peces (Rain of Fish) is a highly awaited day.  No one knows when it will occur, but the locals look forward to it every year.  As soon as the rain comes, they run outside with their baskets, scoop up the fish and begin to prepare the ensuing feast.  All of the fish are the same sardine species, and all are approximately 11cm long.  There is one more unique feature:  they are all blind.  Scientists have speculated everything from an underground cavern that randomly spouts once a year during the heavy rain (no go-they've searched) to a waterspout that picks the fish up from the sea and deposits them there (also not a good suggestions since all of the fish are the same species, size and blind-every year).  There is quite simply no explanation. 

The locals have it figured out, though.  Over a century ago, the terribly poor village was in the midst of a famine.  People were dying for lack of food.  The priest, Father Manuel de Jesus Subirana, fasted and prayed for 3 days and nights on behalf of the people of Yoro.  This time ended in the very first Rain of Fish.  If this is the case, I can only imagine that the people of Yoro have an undying, unprecedented faith in their unseen God!  This is a creative miracle, the likes of which I don't think I've ever heard!  We all know of the multiplication of fish from the Bible, but this is more like manna from Heaven--for more than 100 years!  I find this story so very fascinating!  ...So much so that I would love to go camp out in Yoro to see it with my own eyes!  And what fascinates me is that the faith of Father Manuel was so great.  He simply took Philippians 4:19 to mean what it say:  "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  


God never meets our needs according to what we have or what we can aid in accomplishing.  No!  He meets our needs based on what He has at His disposal!  This is such a wonderful concept!  It takes me back to the Samaritan woman at the well who wondered how Jesus could give her water that would quench all thirsts when He didn't even have a bucket!  Does the Creator of everything really need a bucket?  Does the God of all gods really need a stream or a river to come up with an endless supply of flying fish?  No.  All that He requires is that we ask and believe.  It's so simple that we often stumble over this elementary process.  Ask.  Believe. 

I hope the scientists never convince us that they know the reason for Yoro's beautiful rain!  I hope that the Lord keeps them searching until His return!  I love the fact that the faith of one man turned the heart of God to one village for much longer than that man's eyes could ever see!  Now that's what I'm talkin' about!  I want that kind of faith to see that kind of creative supply! 

Grab your baskets and get ready!  The fish are about to fall!