Fishy Tails and Truth Prevails

Matt 4:19-20……."Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Imagine sitting back in a comfortable living room chair, watching the dancing flames in the fireplace.    You feel relaxed, warm, cozy, and almost bored, enjoying some alone time.   Suddenly a fish lands on the fire and flops on the hearth.    Now that isn’t the kind of thing that happens every day.   

According to the BBC News, that is exactly what happened to Bill Brooks.    The big fish landed on the open fire and  bounced onto the hearth.   It was jet black, so  Bill rescued the big fish, poured water over it,  and kept it alive by placing it in his warm bath and feeding it bread.  The theory is that a bird dropped it down the chimney.     The carp is now doing well at an aquarium in the town.   

A fish out of water is certainly in a place of need and assistance.   Encountering one might be an uninvited interruption.     Bill could have done any number of things with the fish.   Because of his willingness to embrace an opportunity, the fish who thought his life had no hope is now swimming joyfully with others, having been rescued from the flames, washed,  and fed.   Isn’t that exactly what we are to be doing with the invitation of Jesus to be  fishers of men when people show up in our lives?   

Any “fish out of water” people in your world?   In your home, in your church, in your workplace?   They might be dirty, even black, maybe smelly, certainly scared inside, perhaps an irritating floppy personality, but  they are in need of rescue.    It is amazing what a bath of living water (John 7:38) and a meal of the Bread of Life (John 6:48) will do.   Ministry opportunities might come in a moment when you are least expecting it.    Is there a person on the hearth of your heart right now?   Maybe God has dropped them there for a reason.      

Heb 10:21-25

”…..let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”