The Fish Hook Gift

It was a tough week. Sam and I took another step in this journey of ours. He was having trouble preparing meals he could eat and it had finally become more trouble than it was worth for him. Although I don't cook anything like Jamie (his beloved wife who died in October), we decided I would cook every meal for Sam, pureeing it to make it easier to eat. Sam agreed to eat anything I cooked.

It was an adjustment for both of us and we were both tired by the end of the week. On top of our new schedule, I was exhausted from crying and praying about our nation. Going fishing was the last thing on my mind.

Sam, however, had wanted to go fishing for a while. I knew he could catch the fish without help, but getting the fish off the hook and cleaning them was another matter. I could get the fish off, even though I hate to, but cleaning fish is not in my skill set. I'd been dreading cleaning the fish, and I'd put off a fishing expedition because of it.

God knew that, and He sent Harold and Suzann Patterson to help me out. Wednesday night, Harold said, "I remember you said Sam wanted to go fishing. Would it be okay if we came Friday afternoon and took him fishing?" I wanted to cry. Yes, it would be more than okay.

As the week went on, Harold decided to bring two young men with him and have a fish fry with whatever they caught. Wesley and his wife go to our church. Chad is a seminary student in Memphis. Both of them love to fish.

Sam, Harold, and Chad went to the best fishing spot and started to fish. (Wesley hadn't arrived yet.) Sam threw his hook in the water and caught a fish. 

It was obvious he couldn't get down to the water to get the fish off the line, so Chad, who was closer to the water, rose to the occasion. "I'll get it for you." He took the fish off the hook and put it on his stringer.

Before Chad could get his own line back in the water, Sam caught another fish. Chad took that one off the hook, too.

It went on like that for hours. Chad, an avid fisherman, sacrificed his own experience for an elderly man he had just met who loved to fish. He took one fish after another off Sam's hook. Dozens of fish.

"How many fish have you caught, Chad?"

"Only two. I don't have time to catch fish. Every time Sam reaches his hand out, he picks up a fish." His grin spread all the way across his face. If he wasn't having as much fun as Sam, it sure looked like he was.

When Wesley arrived, pole in hand, he watched Sam and Chad for a few minutes, saw the rhythm the two fishermen had going, and opted to move down the levee a little. If Chad hadn't been there, I have no doubt Wesley would have managed the hooks for Sam.

Later, as the two young men cleaned the fish, Chad talked about his dreams for the future. "I just want to minister in a way that makes a difference."

"You've already done that tonight. I can't begin to thank you for the way you ministered to Sam." 

He looked confused. "Ministered to Sam?"

"Yep. You sacrificed for a man you didn't know in a way I could have never done. I consider it a gift for both of us. Didn't you see his face? He was thrilled beyond words. You gave him a gift he won't forget."

A slow smile spread across Chad's face. "I didn't see it like that, but he did have fun, didn't he?"

Sam will talk about yesterday for a long time. The day he caught one fish after another (and didn't have to take them off the hook) will be one of those memories that we take out and retell over and over again.

It wouldn't have been possible without the body of Christ working together to make it happen. Harold and Suzann, Chad, and Wesley were all critical elements in the orchestration of God that blessed an elderly man who's too frail to fish by himself.

I saw God at work in them all last night, and the hard times of the past week faded away before the gift they gave. 

I want to be as ready to serve others as they were last night, especially Chad. To be as quick to recognize a need and respond as Harold and Suzann. To be as open and eager to get to know his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as Wesley. 

Jesus said, "When you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." 

Last night, Four people served Sam, but, in so doing, they served Jesus, as well. It was a beautiful sight.

Let's go and do likewise.

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:40 nasb

____________

#fishing #bodyofChrist #disciple

No sooner said than done (Luke 5:5-7)

Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. (Luke 5:5-7 MSG)

"It was no sooner said than done." That's quite a mouthful of faith and obedience, isn't it?  Perhaps one of the reasons Jesus loved Simon so much, and kept him close at hand, was because of his instant obedience. Some might even call it impulsive, but Simon was definitely an "instantly" kind of man. 

In this brief passage, Jesus asked Simon for the use of the boat for preaching, and "it was no sooner said than done".  Simon arose from the nets he was mending, scrambled into his boat, and moved out. No grumbling or whining. He just did what Jesus said to do, despite his fatigue, lack of sleep, and pressing business responsibilities. 

Jesus said move out to deep water, and it was "no sooner said than done." Despite the fact that Simon had just returned from deep water (which he did take time to mention), "it was no sooner said than done". His recent failure in that very same place did not stop Simon from obeying, nor from obeying instantly. 

Jesus said to cast the nets, and Simon picked them up and threw them out. Those nets are heavy and hauling them back in, even empty, is no small job, especially for a man exhausted from a night of work. "It was no sooner said than done", however. Jesus said to do it, and Simon obeyed.  

It's a lesson for us, isn't it?  That Still, Small Voice speaks in our heart and we sometimes whine and complain as if He had asked us to give up all our worldly goods. If we could see the other side of our obedience, it would "no sooner be said than done". Of course we can't see the future. That's where faith is required. Faith obeys even when the outcome is unclear. Faith obeys even when the task seems pointless. Faith obeys, just because Jesus asks.   

Today, pray that the voice and direction of Christ will be crystal clear and that our obedience will be instant. Pray, too, that when the voice of Christ calls our loved ones, their response will be just as instant. 

The nevertheless obedience (Luke 5:4,5)

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. (Luke 5:4, 5 KJV)

We are using the King James Version today so that we can look at Simon's response and the wonderful word NEVERTHELESS. It means "in spite of" and connects Simon's statements in a wonderful way. 

In response to Jesus's command to put out into the deep water and cast his nets, Simon made his doubt about the utility of that effort crystal clear. "I've already fished all night, Jesus. We didn't catch a single fish! I don't see the point."  Maybe what Simon meant was, "I'm the best fisherman on this sea, and if I can't catch fish, they can't be caught. I know more than you about fishing!" What is so interesting is that, although Simon clearly saw it as a low-yield effort, he was willing to obey Jesus. This is where nevertheless comes onto the scene. In spite of his doubt, fatigue, and desire to get finished with the morning's work and back home for a few hours of sleep, Simon would do what Jesus said. He didn't have to understand or agree. He just obeyed. 

I'm left wondering why. Why did Simon agree to put out into the sea when he thought it was pointless. Probably Simon had heard of Jesus and the miracles He could do. Maybe he was curious and wondered. Maybe he didn't want to miss anything special, just in case. Maybe he was offering Jesus a challenge. "Let's see what You can do in these waters."  Nevertheless. In spite of. Simon agreed to do what Jesus said. 

You may be a little like Simon (and me). Maybe you, too, have a litany of reasons why the instructions of that Still Small Voice are a bad idea or would be a wasted effort. Grudging obedience is still obedience, and can be an important first step toward seeing the miraculous intervention of God. Peter's uncertainty was not a problem because of one word. Nevertheless. Nevertheless, Peter would obey. 

The next time you are inclined to doubt that Still Small Voice, tack your doubt to nevertheless. Doubt if you must, but obey anyway. What blessings await! 

The fish were in the deep water, but Simon would not have caught them if not for NEVERTHELESS. What can God do with your "nevertheless obedience"? 

Today, pray that we and our loved ones would have  a willingness to obey that transcends our doubts. Pray for a "nevertheless obedience".