Keeping On
Reading: John 21:1-19
“Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’”
Sudden loss of employment, the death of a loved one in an accident or the break-up of a marriage. . . such things upset the normal flow of life. What do we do when our world has been turned upside down?
In the space of a few days, Peter had denied knowing his best friend, had watched from a safe distance as Jesus was crucified, had learned from some women that Jesus had risen from the dead, and had seen Jesus in the Upper Room. His mind must have been on overload. The best response was to return to his ordinary routine. He went fishing.
When events become too much for us, this is a good choice. We can follow our usual schedule as much as possible. Hearts and minds may not be in the work or activity, but there is a certain comfort in the familiar. As we cook or clean, shuffle papers, or stare at a computer, healing begins in the ordinary affairs of life.
In the case of Peter, as he went about his fishing, Jesus came again to him. This time Peter was shown the next step. He was given new work to do: feed my lambs, tend my sheep. If we continue to work at the common things of life, we too will be shown the next step to take.
For Reflection: How do I cope when my life is in turmoil?
Prayer Seed:
Sing, pray, and swerve not from God’s ways;
But do thine own part faithfully;
Trust the rich promises of grace,
So shall they be fulfilled in thee.
God never yet forsook at need
The soul secured by trust indeed.
Georg Neumark, 1657
