Fishers of Men

When I was a little boy, my family and I would go to Canada to fish for one week each year. We went with a group of friends and each family would stay in their own cabin. We even brought our own boat to take out on the lake.

As a little boy, I would often get impatient as we sat in the boat, with our lines in the water, hoping to catch a fish. Sometimes, we would be out for hours with not even a nibble. I still remember sitting in the boat watching my bobber in the water, hoping to see it go under the water (that meant I had a fish on the line). It just seemed like the time passed so slowly.

Once in a while, we would get into a really good spot in the lake and catch fish, one right after the other. It would seem that all we would do is cast our line and right away, reel in a fish. Those were the times I would have been fine staying out for hours.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men". As Christ followers, we too are called to be "fishers of men". Part of our direction from God is to go out and share the gospel with the entire world.

At times, though, I can still feel the little boy inside of me as I try to be a "fisher of men". It is easy to become impatient, when it seems I am not getting a nibble. Though I cast my line over and over again, no one seems to respond. But then I think about those times when my baskets have been over flowing with fish, when every effort brought forth an abundance. The memories of those times are what give me the patience to continue to cast my line.