During the past few
months, I have shared this story with three different people in an attempt to provide
encouragement in the midst of a personal struggle. In the hope that someone
else might find a morsel of inspiration, I thought I would share it in my blog.
Around six years ago, my daughter Michelle began having
some issues that she was told could be the result of multiple sclerosis. There were
a couple of more benign things that could have been the cause of her symptoms,
and since MS is a difficult condition to pin down and diagnose, we hoped for
the best. However, a year or so later, she was given the grim news that she
definitely had the disease. I was at work when I found out – we spoke briefly
on the phone just long enough for her to share the news. I promised to call her
for a more in-depth talk when my shift ended.
I called her on my cell as I was leaving work, and a few
miles down the road I pulled into a roadside park. Michelle told me the details;
we both cried and prayed, and I tried to think of comforting Scripture to share
with her. I remember that I brought up the Mercy Me song, “Jesus, Bring the Rain”, and reminded her that our purpose in life is to give Jesus glory.
Finally, we hung up, and I started my car to finish my drive home. A new song
was just beginning on the radio – the very one we had just talked about. That
reinforced in my mind the fact that God was indeed in control. Even so, my mind
was in turmoil. Michelle had faithfully served God since she was a child – why her?
When I got home, I sat at my desk and opened my Bible
without looking. I told God that I needed a word from Him to help me deal with
the situation. When I looked at the page, my finger was pointing to John 21:6 –
“And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye
shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the
multitude of fishes”. Definitely not the type of verse I was expecting to find.
I thought for sure that God would use this opportunity to remind me of His
ability to comfort, or some such. In my arrogance, I began to point out to the
Lord what it was that I really needed to read.
I don’t remember what exactly happened, but somehow God
got my attention. I read the verse again, and considered the scenario. These
men had been fishing all night. No doubt they had fished on every side of the ship. They were ready
to give up. Yet, when Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of
the boat and try again, they did it. And what happened? They caught fish. Lots
of fish. So many fish that they couldn’t even bring them all in.
Now that God had my attention, He reminded me of His
charge in Matthew 4:19 – “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”. It
began to make sense to me. Those of us who are saved have a purpose. We are to
be fishermen for His kingdom. We are to cast our nets wherever He tells us to,
even if it the circumstances aren’t what we expect; even if it doesn’t seem to
make sense. He knows best. He knows where the fish are. Somehow, Michelle
having this disease is for God’s glory. It will enable her to catch more fish
for His kingdom. And that’s what it’s all about.
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| Michelle is still able to run 5K races! |
