The "Catch"

The 4/19 verse of the day is Mat 4:19, "Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'” (NKJV)

This verse has great significance to me. Before my husband became a pastor, we were visiting NYC and attending a conference at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Even though it was for pastors, it was also for non-pastors or other lay people in ministry. Whatever the excuse was to get to the Brooklyn Tab...we were there.

What we did not expect was the message God was going to deliver to us those few days. Joseph Stowell was the speaker and I can remember tears streaming down my face as I realized the call of God on Bill's life and mine. He was teaching from this passage and God was using him to speak directly to us. There was a fishing trip in our future!

Up until that point, I had resisted Bill going into ministry as a vocation. How were we going to pay the bills if he pursued a job in ministry. Yes, I know, for someone whose top spiritual gift is faith, I was not a good candidate for faith's poster child at that point. I was more like Jacob, wrestling with God's will. God won...and I have never regretted putting on the waders and setting out to unknown waters.

It's quiet comical as I look back on it. God had stripped us of Bill's career; we had lost our home and I was still too thick headed to give up my "comfort." What comfort?! We were failing miserably because I, mainly, was running away from God. I'm quiet surprised I didn't get swallowed up by a whale or something!

Thank the Lord, for knocking me up the side of the head (for lack of a better depiction of how he had to reach me!). I cannot express adequately the great joy we've had telling others of God's grace, goodness, love and plan of salvation, through Jesus, since he sent us out fishing. We've been able to be part of some good "catches" by God! Whether he sends us out for the serious deep-sea fishing or has us sit alongside a calm stream, I know he will keep sending the fish our way. We're just gonna show up and let him help us catch them.