“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:18-20. (NKJV).
“Hurry, Grandfather. I want to get the best spot at the pond.” He tilted his head. "May we eat our catch for lunch?”
“Mighty sure of yourself.” Grandfather chuckled. “Hop in the truck and let’s be on our way. Brought our lunch just in case.”
“Why don’t the fish bite, Grandfather? We’ve sat here for hours. How long do we wait?”
“Take a deep breath. Enjoy yourself, Timmy. You can’t rush fish.”
Timmy put his pole down on the dock, leaned back on his hands, and took a deep breath.
“Hey, you’ve got a bite. Grab the pole. Easy. Don’t lose him.” He thumped Timmy on the back. “Good job, son.”
“I did it, Grandfather. I caught a fish.”
“You did indeed. But how if you'd quit?”
“I’d missed out, huh?”
“Absolutely. You know, one day the Lord Jesus saw two fishermen, brothers, in fact. He said for them to follow Him and He’d make them fishers of men. They left their nets and followed Him.”
“Did He, Grandfather? Fish men out of the water?”
Grandfather's lips twitched. "The Lord taught them what you’ve learned today, Timmy. To be patient and kind. You can’t rush the fish or someone you want to come to the Lord. Know what?” Timmy shook his head. “The waiting time can be used to show folks they’re loved, worth praying for.”
“We’re not quitters, are we?”
“No, son. A fisherman never quits. He keeps on fishing, no matter how long it takes.”
Kingdom Thinking. As I rush through life, with all its demands, I need to stop, take a deep breath. The Lord Jesus, the Big Fisherman, teaches me to be a fisher of men. He promises to love me with an everlasting love and never leave me. I've gone fishing with Him. Won’t you come?
Am so encouraged by your use of story to share encouraging and inspirational lessons. We can't give up praying for salvation for those we love, can we? But then again, "Who is your neighbor... "? God's blessings Ms. Marjorie.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. We who serve an Awesome God have no reason to give up! He is my Lord and Savior and I choose to rest in Him! Sounds easy but my stubborn will keeps messing up! Blessings to you this beautiful day!
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