Valerie Rae Hanneman
Luke 5:4-5 “And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." (ESV)
In the same year that Fawn was finally finished being a teenager my son, Steven, started being a teenager. This experience has taught me two valuable things. First - I should have spaced my children differently. Instead of having them 5 years apart I should have had them closer together so I could get the whole “teenager” thing finished at once or I should have had them further apart so I could have some time to recuperate between the “teenager” thing. The other thing I learned is well known - parents of teenagers understand why some animals eat their young.
Fawn, Steven and all teenagers go through that “I am hip - I am cool - I know everything there is to know - but you, dear parent, are hopelessly out of date and you know nothing about the real world.” stage. And nothing shows that more clearly than when they roll their eyes at you. Man, I hate that! And when you have two teenagers and together they are rolling those eyes at you - you envy those animals! And doesn’t it seem like they roll their eyes the most when you are trying to tell them to do something? They get that glazed look on their faces while you are talking, then, when you are finished, they roll those eyes and say “wha-a-t-ever, mom.” It is enough to make me repeat, “I am not an animal, I am not an animal” To be honest though - I shouldn’t get all that upset at them - I did the same thing to my mom!
When we look into this scene from the Bible we see that Jesus has attracted such a crowd that they have literally crowded Him off of the shore of the lake and into Peter’s fishing boat. He has been teaching the people from the boat that had pulled a little away from the shore when He turns and tells Peter, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Peter must have had a surprised look on his face- can’t you just imagine the thoughts going through his head? “Who is this guy to tell me to go and fish? - Not only is He from Nazareth - He is a carpenter, for heaven’s sake! What does He know about fishing? He doesn’t even know that you have to fish at night! I am the professional fisherman here - and He is trying to tell me how to fish? What’s up with that?” Obviously Jesus doesn’t understand fishing or He would know better than to make such a request, so Peter tries to explain. “Listen, Master, we’ve been fishing all night and haven’t caught anything.” When Jesus doesn’t say anything, can’t you just see Peter roll those eyes and with “whatever!” in his voice, said, “But at your word I will let down the nets.”
Peter took his boat to the deep water in what he thought was a fools errand - not seeing the twinkle of hidden laughter in God’s eyes as He sat across from him. They let the nets out and when they tried to pull them back in the catch of fish was so great that the boat started to sink. They called their partner’s boat over - and it also threatened to sink under the weight of the fish. Then Peter of the rolling eyes hit his knees before God and confessed that he was unworthy to be in Jesus’ presence.
Have you ever rolled your eyes at God when He tries to tell you something? Maybe not literally - but within yourself you do? You feel God’s urging for you to do something - only He wants you to do it His way - not yours? Or maybe He wants you to do something that is outside of your comfort zone and because it is “not really you” you roll your spiritual eyes and wonder if God knows for sure what He is asking of you?
I have - and unfortunately - it has been more than once. The biggest eye roll was when Father called me to the Care Fresno Kids Klub ministry. When Gary Molander was explaining Care Fresno from the pulpit and I heard Father’s voice urging me into it I was astounded. “Are You talking to me?” I asked, “You can’t be talking to me - I don’t even like kids - I barely tolerate my own!” So I tested Father. “Okay, I am going to do this and if that happens, I will know that You are talking to me.” Well, before I got half-way through the this - the that had happened and so I knew He was talking to me. Rather ungraciously, I rolled my eyes and agreed to do it. And in the nine years I have done this ministry God has given me miracle after miracle after miracle. First to change my heart and then to bless me. And you know what I have found out? I LOVE kids and I love this ministry. I can’t imagine what my life would be without it.
This is not the only time I rolled my eyes at God. When He called me to the e-Ministry I rolled my eyes. When He called me to the choir - I rolled my eyes so much I looked like a google-eye doll. But every time He has given me so much more than I could have imagined.
God does not always call the equipped, but He always equips the called. If God calls you to something that is outside of the normal for you, or He asks you to do something His way - rather than your way remember that His way is true and His call is right for you. And remember this as well - there is a boatload of fish waiting for you. Your boatload of fish may be the tears of joy you cry as a child that has been in Kids Klub is baptized, or it may be the e-mail you receive that says, “what you wrote was exactly what I needed today.” or it may be something else. Boatloads of fish come in every size and color so I don’t know what your boatload of fish is going to look like - I just know that it is waiting for you.
Trust Him. Answer His call. Take your boat into the deep water - and try not to roll your eyes while you’re doing it.
LORD God, I don’t want to roll my eyes at You. I want to trust You and Your guidance more than that. Help me when I doubt You and show me - once again - that Your way is the right way for me.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the Fresno First e-Ministry at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Posted by Valerie at February 20, 2005 07:25 PM