Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! We have another beautiful sunny day! This morning I cleaned the apartment and made egg dishes and this afternoon we have some errands to run before our walk. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day at the lake and visit a friend on the way. We are celebrating Father’s Day early at Ann’s and also hope to get a swim and boat ride in… and maybe even a nap at the Silver Chateau. We are thankful Kurt and Brenda feel better each day.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We didn’t get to choose the day we would be born but our spiritual journey is a choice we make. When we choose to become a follower of Jesus, we leave behind our old life and enter a new life with new values, beliefs, and a whole different worldview. We don’t know what this new beginning will look like for we are placing our lives in God’s hands. I am reading Fr. Michael Casey’s book, Grace on the Journey to God. He writes how Peter and Andrew were fishermen but when they responded to Jesus’ call, He made them fishers of men instead. They had to leave their past behind, just as we do, and no one is certain exactly what that will mean.
This is as far as I got writing to you when I was interrupted by a knock on our apartment door. A friend stopped by and guess what she shared about….. fish! She and her husband had just gotten back from 5 days in Florida and her husband caught a 30” Barracuda, a 4-foot Spinning Shark, and a 5-foot Nurse shark. How exciting that must have been to catch such big ones; but even more thrilling is that they both love being fishers of men. They help at Teen Challenge, at their church, here at Northern Lakes and so many places and they see fish (souls) caught for the kingdom. Some souls seem much like the big fish for they have been set free from drugs and many horrendous things in their lives. It may take a while to land them and often more line has to be let out before trying to reel them in again. Sometimes we are amazed at God’s timing and ways that He uses to catch them in His net of love. There is great rejoicing by everyone in the boat when fish are landed and then each one puts their line in again to catch more. The Lord may also use different kinds of bait and He desires to use our changed lives, with loving actions and kind words, to help others respond.
We are all called to win others for the Kingdom and Jesus says to us as well, in Mark 1:17 (God’s Word), “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” May our response be like that of Peter and Andrew as it says in the next verse, “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Let us break with our old lives and embrace what God has for us on our new spiritual journey.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to make you a good fisher of men and to use every opportunity He sends.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
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