Gone Fishing

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

I love the calling of the first disciples, Andrew and Peter. Here comes this carpenter down the beach and he snags two fishermen right away. They just jump off thier boats and take off. They were to be made fishers of men.

There are stories of Peter returning to his nets dotted throughout scripture. He made his living off the sea. It's a hard, uncertain and dangerous way to make a living but I imagine there were times when he ached from the beauty of a sunset or marveled at the carpet of stars. I'm sure there had to have been times when he could see his reflection in the calm of the water as well as times when he feared for his life in a roiling storm. He loved to fish.

The third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after coming back to life, Jesus changed his calling. He told Peter three times that He wanted him to be a shepherd. I can almost hear the urgency in the Lord when He tells him to "Feed my lambs", "Take care of my sheep", and "Feed my sheep". Then he repeats the command, "Follow me!" Once again, he was to leave his nets and follow Jesus.

Lord, help me to know when it's time to fish and when it's time to farm!