Luke 5:1-11

Perhaps the hardest part of doing anything new, setting out on a new venture or following your dreams is taking the first step, that first action that defines in our hearts and minds that this is it and there is no looking back.  I live in a community where boating and fishing are common activities.  In that moment when a boat is loosened from its dock or trailer and begins to float ever so slightly, there is that moment that passes through my mind to remind me I’ve committed to the trip and nothing quite compares to the feeling of taking off over water to find that special spot where fish are biting, where a place can only be reached by water or where nature is totally surrounding me.  Yet in that first moment of floating, there is also apprehension, “What if the motor fails? What if the boat takes on water?  What if we get lost?”  Still, unless we push off from the shore, the adventure cannot begin.

The narrative in Luke 5:1-11 tells of how Jesus finds two empty boats  while their owners were washing their fishing nets.  One of the boats belonged to Peter.  Jesus boards the boat and begins to teach the crowds from the boat.  He then tells Peter to launch into the deep.  Peter balks at first, noting that he had been fishing all night long and caught nothing, but at Jesus’ word he casts his net.  The result was that he had a catch so large it could not be brought on board and Jesus commissions Peter to become a fisher of men. 

As I began contemplating how I would launch this blog, what would I begin with, my mind ran back to this passage and I was reminded that until I make the first posting, it is all just an idea.  I’ve been writing for years and had this idea for years in some form.  But by my own power, might and strength have gotten really nowhere.  The same applies to my love of art and being creative.  It seemed like I could never push myself or apply myself enough to make art or art related things a career to depend upon for myself.  I am not sure I was ever supposed to profit off of art but ideas continue to come to mind.  I began to understand that Jesus was calling me to utilize my gifts in a unique way and that He is calling me to launch out.

The thing about a boat is that as long as it is tied to the dock it’s not fulfilling its purpose.  To experience the wonder and power of the wind in a sail boat you have to unfurl the sail. To know the freedom of paddling down a river you have to be willing to glide with the current.  Or to feel the rush of riding over the top of the water you have to turn on the motor.  I’ve come to realize that to keep my thoughts, my gifts and talents to myself is like keeping a boat tied to the dock.  There is an uncertainty in launching out, but I’ve come to understand that unless I launch out, I will not truly experience all that God has for me to do and all that He has for me.  So this is my moment of untying my boat, floating for a moment and then taking the journey I believe God has set for me to take.  I pray that you enjoy the adventure.