All night we fished
tried every lure, every bait
unrewarded
no tug on our lines,
no weight in our nets.
tried every lure, every bait
unrewarded
no tug on our lines,
no weight in our nets.
Sun rises
slowly
in the east
Weary eyes turn to shore.slowly
in the east
A small fire lights dark sand.
On a rock he sits waiting.
Oars and tide draw us closer
I imagine the warmth of fire on wind whipped cheeks
can smell fresh fish.
And he calls;
"Come and dine, my friends."
Oars and tide draw us closer
I imagine the warmth of fire on wind whipped cheeks
can smell fresh fish.
And he calls;
"Come and dine, my friends."
I wrote that a lifetime ago, in the spring of 1992. I don't even recall my thought process at the time, but I did write several pieces with Bible stories as a backdrop. As I am beginning to look to my future again, feeling excited anticipation for what may be coming next (after years of waiting always for the other shoe to drop) I find myself also looking back, examining what came before, what brought me to this place.
I have talked before about looking back to appreciate how far we have come in our journeys. When I came across this poem again I got to thinking about those fishermen. Tired, disillusioned, and empty handed they had returned to their familiar old habits. All of them had three years earlier walked away from their nets and accepted the challenge of a new life, but when the bottom fell out they went back to where they started. I know I've done that. Taken chances, stepped out of my comfort zone in the hope of better things and when it didn't work out the way I had planned I turn tail and go back to my old ways, to what is most familiar, only to find that doesn't work anymore either.
It is in that moment, adrift between what was and what might have been, but isn't, I need to fix my eyes on the shore and rest a while in the warmth of friendship. There was no rebuke in Jesus' mouth for these confused and disillusioned fishermen. Just a place to rest, and be nourished.
Where do you find yourself today? Striving to make old patterns work again? Drifting to shore in disappointment? Look to the shore-there is a campfire burning, calling you to rest, refresh and start over.
I have talked before about looking back to appreciate how far we have come in our journeys. When I came across this poem again I got to thinking about those fishermen. Tired, disillusioned, and empty handed they had returned to their familiar old habits. All of them had three years earlier walked away from their nets and accepted the challenge of a new life, but when the bottom fell out they went back to where they started. I know I've done that. Taken chances, stepped out of my comfort zone in the hope of better things and when it didn't work out the way I had planned I turn tail and go back to my old ways, to what is most familiar, only to find that doesn't work anymore either.
It is in that moment, adrift between what was and what might have been, but isn't, I need to fix my eyes on the shore and rest a while in the warmth of friendship. There was no rebuke in Jesus' mouth for these confused and disillusioned fishermen. Just a place to rest, and be nourished.
Where do you find yourself today? Striving to make old patterns work again? Drifting to shore in disappointment? Look to the shore-there is a campfire burning, calling you to rest, refresh and start over.
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