I’m a Fisher-Woman
When I moved to Austin, I had to leave dear friends who I served with in the ACTS communities in Tulsa, OK and in Frisco, TX. ACTS is a beautiful retreat weekend hosted several times each year.
Many weeks, hours and days of preparation goes into those retreats and are led by devoted women and men. The main focus of the retreats is to raise up other men and women to also become devoted followers of Christ.
Many of us who serve/served in ACTS wear a Fishers of Men bracelet as a symbol of our commitment to follow Christ. My family purchased a sterling silver one for me for my birthday years ago. It replicates the snap swivel used for tying the fishing line to the swivels and it reminds me to strive to be a “fisher of men AND women” daily.
Though ACTS isn’t active here in Austin like it was where I served before, I have seen many wearing one of those bracelets. It reminds me that there are many comrades who bear that symbol as devoted followers of Christ, too!
Several years ago, I was blessed to be at the Sea of Galilee. I was where Jesus called two brothers, Peter and Andrew, from their fishing business to follow Him and become “Fishers of Men”; not just fishers of fish. (Matthew 4:18-20) “Fishers of Men” became a Christian term for those who desire to live their lives as devoted followers of Christ and who become fishers of men and women, too!
A night of fishing and coming up with empty nets was a sad outcome for those fishermen, but that scene quickly changed when Jesus saved the day for them. They caught more fish than their nets could hold. Peter and Andrew did as they were told; they cast their nets where Jesus directed them and hauled in a boatload of fish.
That is the point for those of us who are passionate about being fishers of people and partners with God in our everyday walk of life. Sure, God wants us to do our part and use the abilities He has given us, but He also wants us to acknowledge our need for His help. He wants us to call on Him in whatever we are doing.
Maybe we’ve been striving for way too long to get the job done our way and on our own. What if we partnered with God and took the time to consciously bring Him into our plans at our jobs, in our homes, and in our world?
We can trust that “all things are possible” when we rely on Him. And, when we rely on Him, just imagine the boatload of wisdom, understanding, ideas, witty inventions, words to say to someone to encourage them, and everything else He gives us to have a boatload-of-blessing.
I wear my bracelet to remind me of His “call” to follow Him, and to purposely stretch out my faith “net” with this daily blog to catch as many of those who are weary, hurting and longing for hope and rescue, and introduce them to the greatest Fisherman of them all. After all – He is right here on my fishing “boat” with me!