Have you ever seen an elver? These tiny, baby eels swim in rivers along the coast of Maine. In this photo, you can see them swimming in a plastic bag after they’ve been caught. Don’t they look like they could be made of glass?

The skin of these baby eels has no pigment, or coloring. Eventually the eels will grow up and turn yellowish brown. Maine fishermen send the glass eels to Asia, where they will be sold as food.

Elver fishing season just ended. For many fishermen, it didn’t go well. There just weren’t enough glass eels for them to catch. Some elvers still swim in the rivers. But fishermen can’t catch them now that the season is over. They know that in order to have more elvers next year, they will have to let the little ones swim away—for now.

You also, be patient. —James 5:8