Lessons from Fish

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that I caught eight fish tonight.

This may not seem like a big deal, but you should know... I grew up on a lake in the south and fishing is practically a way of life, and I have gone 25 years of my life without ever having caught a fish the traditional way on my own. 25 years.

But tonight, I caught eight. All by myself. In fact, I was the only one to catch any fish at all tonight. They latched onto my hook again and again, and I reeled them up excitedly, becoming braver with each new fish I managed snag from the water.

I was amazed, because of all the times I have gone fishing, I have wondered why I have never caught anything. Not even once. I would always leave disappointed. And all of sudden, out of nowhere, I caught eight and actually had closer to 12 interact with my line and hook.

The scene had me thinking of the man Jesus, asking the man Peter to let out his nets for a catch even though his nets had already been out all night, and he hadn't caught anything. By obeying the command of Christ, the nets that Peter had let out were so full to bursting that his ship was beginning to sink. That is probably more than eight fish I think, but to me, the miracle felt tangible and so relatable to me... 25 years and I haven't caught a thing, and now I am bringing in more fish than my tiny ice chest can hold.

When I got back and told my dad about the catch of fish, he was elated. I asked him his thoughts on why all of sudden I had caught so many fish, and you know what he said? He told me it probably had to do with the fact that it has recently rained and was slightly cloudy.

And there it was. A simple lesson from my loving God and Father that watches and tends my soul:

Sometimes the plentiful harvest comes after a season of toil.
Sometimes the deepest rest finds us after long lengths of weariness.
Sometimes remarkable joy becomes us after we have sowed in tears.
Sometimes the most incredible victory is ours after we have struggled to overcome.

Sometimes the greatest catches of our lives come after the rain.