Stepping out in faith

Jesus saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen
had gone out of them and were washing their nets. (Luke 5:2 -NRSV)


I believe that Simon Peter was a skilled fisherman. But that day he and his
partners were unsuccessful; they had toiled all night and caught nothing.
They left their boats and were washing their nets, ready to go home as
failures. Then, Jesus got into a boat that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked
him to put out a little way from the land and began to preach to the crowds
from the boat.

Jesus knew that Simon's efforts to catch fish the previous night had been
unsuccessful. When Jesus had finished speaking, he asked Simon to go
farther out into deeper water and cast the net. Simon did not know that
a great catch of fish was in store for him and his partners. Soon their
boats were completely filled with fish! Both times!! Peter obeyed Jesus.

Wednesday night and Thursday morning were some of the most difficult
hours of my life. I can honestly say that only the prayers, calls, e-mails
and sweet encouraging words of my friends got me through all of the
pain. On Thursday morning, just a very few minutes before I lost Harley,
a friend felt compelled to send me a long detailed e-mail about her
family and son and their experience with losing a much loved pet.
She didn't have to listen to that still small voice that was telling her
to share all this; she didn't have to take her valuable time in writing
in such detail about their situation; she didn't have to show such care
and compassion.....but she did. We have known each other for years
and years. She has always been so kind and she even worked with
my son at one time. However, because of facebook, we have become
close friends and she has been a wonderful, supportive force in my
life. I feel like she stepped out a little like Jesus told Peter to do.
She cast her net out a little further and I can't adequately express
how much she has enriched my daily life.

How many times does God call us to step out a little further? How
many times do we misjudge or assume someone to be one way or
another in error. I believe that all of us carry scars and perhaps
traits from our past that need to be looked over in order to see
the real us inside.

We need to step out a little more and cast our nets a little deeper.
God Bless you during this Easter season.

Read Luke 5: 1-11