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As I was reading through the Bible today I came across an interesting passage. I'd read or heard it probably a hundred times since I was a kid but, for some reason, today it struck me.

1 - 3 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.

4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch."

5 -7Simon 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.

8 -10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself." When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon.

10 -11 Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women." They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

The very first thing I notice about this particular piece of scripture is Jesus' action. He commandeers a vessel from an over-worked, frustrated, exceptionally tired and I imagine cranky fisherman named Simon Peter. Now when I think of Peter, I usually think of the strong preaching, ear chopping, upon-this-rock-I-will-build-my-church guy who virtually bulldozed down the walls of captivity that the Law of Moses had kept the Jews inside. But on this particular day Peter was just a regular Joe working a regular job. He was coming back from an exhausting and unproductive double shift. He wasn't yet a disciple, he didn't yet follow Jesus... he was just a guy. He had obviously heard of Jesus; maybe he had even seen Him preach on occasion, or heard of stories of the miraculous things He had done. But he didn't really know Jesus yet.

Let's put it into perspective: You just finished working a 10 hr. graveyard shift at a diner waiting tables. And it figures...every jerk drunk, obnoxious high schooler, and crotchety old person in your fair city wanted to come to your place tonight..and EVERY LAST ONE got seated in your section. They were rude, made you return plates 4 or 5 times until their soup was hot enough, their meat was cooked enough, their eggs were soft enough, and their pancakes had the exact right amount of powdered sugar. And to top it off, your tips this shift were almost non-existent...cheapskates. Most left you some random spare change or a dollar bill, and some left none at all. One guy even cleaned out his pockets entirely, leaving you with a melted stick of gum, a paperclip, a rubber band, and some pencil shavings...thanks for THAT benevolent gesture.

You finally finish up around 7 am. You're beat, you're frustrated, and you really just want to explode at the next person that even BREATHES in your general direction. All you have to do is wipe your section down, and you can go home, collapse into bed, and dream of better days...whatever those are. You've been working this crummy job for years now, and you've had more of these kinds of days than you'd like to admit. More than you even feel is worth the measly 8 bucks an hour you get paid to work in this craphole. But it's a living...and really, what else is there?

You mindlessly dab at the tables with your half moist kitchen rag when, out of nowhere, a man slips by you and sits right down in your shiny red and silver sparkled booth. There are 13 other booth choices, 9 other tables, and a soda bar WIDE...OPEN...  There is literally no other human being within a quarter mile of your section, and he sits there. Through the red haze you are currently gazing through, as calmly as humanly possible, and with as much control as you can manage, you let the man know that you are actually done for the day, and there are plenty of other options for seating.  You're sorry, but you're SURE someone else would be happy to assist him. From behind his neatly unfolded sports section, he glances up at you and smiles. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were off the clock. This is my favorite booth. I love the view. My dad and I used to come in here when I was a kid and watch the neighborhood kiddos play in in the jungle gym across the street. I promise I won't be long. Would you mind sticking around just a bit longer?"

Enter Peter.  Jesus catches him right as he's closing up shop. He's sleepy and running on fumes, and now he has to sit and listen to this guy talk to a bunch of people he's never met, and couldn't care less about. He sits in the back of the boat and just listens. If he's anything like I am for Sunday morning services on occasion, he probably had a hard time staying focused: maybe even nodded off a time or two. I can see him just trying desperately to keep his eyes open. Then Jesus finishes up preaching. Oh good.  FINALLY!  Maybe I'll actually get home in time to get a few hours of sleep before having to be back here again. But then Jesus turns to him and says... "Hey, why don't you go back out one more time. I'll bet you get a good catch! Get way out there to the deep water...that's where the good fish are."

Whoa... wait a minute... hold the phone... who do you think you are?!? At least that's my reaction. As it is, I feel like Jesus was a little rude from the get-go. He just walks up and takes over this guys boat, uses it as long as He feels like it, and then has the nerve to tell them to go BACK OUT!! And not just to the bay... WAY OUT. Out to the deep. So you can bet that it's no short trip. It probably took HOURS to get back in and I imagine it would take hours to get back out.

Now, if it was me, I'd be a little miffed. Who the blazes is this guy? He comes out of nowhere, expects to use my equipment free of charge, and then, after ALL I've been through today, He tells me to basically go back to work because I missed something. I missed a catch! Just looking at this guy, you can tell he's not a fisherman. His clothes are neat and tidy, his beard is trimmed, he apparently knows nothing of hard labor. Why in the world should I listen to Him? I hear He teaches sometimes at the synagogue down the street, and lots of people like Him. *Big sigh* Which probably means that, as much as I hate this, I should just let him have His way. I DEFINITELY don't want to offend Him. It wouldn't be good for business. And with heavy sarcasm in my voice, I would most likely spout something like "Well... MAAASTER... we've been at work all freaking night. We've trolled every known hatch, dragged every drop-off, tried every trick in the book. And the fish aren't just avoiding us...they're literally fleeing in the opposite direction. But if YOU say so, being such an expert and all, we'll give it another shot." And I'm sure I'd dodge a few nasty glances and ignore some well timed profanity when I called in the order to head back out.  This guy better know what the heck He's doing, and I can venture a guess that Peter felt about the same way.

My big issue is that Jesus didn't really seem to take into consideration anyone but Himself, His motives, and His best interests. He wanted what He wanted, WHEN He wanted it. From a human vantage, His actions are rude, selfish, and completely uncalled for. But then we get to verse 6: they let the nets down, and they finally see what Jesus had been talking about from the start.

Sometimes, I forget that God knows what He's doing. His timing is always impeccable. He is the ONLY one who knows the certainty of the end from the beginning. He knew the minute He stepped on Peters boat that they would have an amazing catch, and where they would find it. Out in the deep water. Sure, he may have been a little forward about using the boat to preach. But He knew what Peter would get out of the deal before Peter even agreed to it. Sure he was exhausted. Jesus knew that. But He also knew that, at the end of the day, Peter would not only receive WELL beyond his deserved monetary reward for his work, but that his future would be forever altered. He would no longer be just a regular Joe working a regular j-o-b. Jesus knew that he would one day be referred to as one of the fathers of faith, a true "fisher of men". So maybe, in Jesus' view, a little hard work, even a little temporary exhaustion, was well worth it. He knew the end from the beginning. The prize was out in the deep water. His future was out in the deep water.  And Jesus knew He had to get him out there if he was ever going to catch it.

We have become a society of people who pride themselves on finding the easiest, shortest, most hassle-free ways to get what we want. We have technology that puts the world at our fingertips, and we expect immediate results. We have developed a fear of the deep water, of waiting, of long journeys. We have come to believe that the things we want are available right here, right now, and anything else isn't worth the trek. We fear the storms that come from chasing "the catch". When we stay in the bay, it's easy enough to get safely back to land on our own.

But out on the deep water, He is all that we have to rely on. Sometimes, it's ONLY by getting us out in the deep water that He can teach us to rely on Him and not on ourselves. Sometimes it's only by getting us out of our comfort zone, which may mean things like moving us away from our families, switching jobs, or being forced to love the unlovable people in our lives, that we truly learn to lean on Him. Now please don't misunderstand. I do not now, nor will I EVER claim that God uses sickness and disease, or tragedy to bring us closer to Him. Anyone who reads John 10:10, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to bring you life, and life to it's fullest..." should be convinced of that. But I do believe that oftentimes it is when we are the most tired, when we're at our breaking points, when we can no longer stand on our own that we finally cry out. And when we do, it's the One who asks us to brave the storms of the deep water that stills them with nothing more than a word. And if He is taking us out to the deep water, to the ends of our own strength, perhaps beyond where even we thought we could go, it's ALWAYS to bring us to that which He has promised. Our "catch".

So take a page from Peters book. Don't be afraid of the deep water. Don't convince yourself that you're too tired, or you've got too much on your plate, or that the task is too much for you. Trust in the Master. Even if the dream or the path that He has placed in front of you seems more daunting than you could ever handle. Remember, He knows YOU, He knows your heart, and He knows what He's doing. Grab your nets and get ready to sail.