Fishing Without a Pole

Sometimes when I tend to worry, I sit and write poems to my Lord Jesus
Here's a poem I wrote as I wait to see God's work in my married family.

Fishing Without A Pole
"Not now, not now",I cried out loud,
in frustration at His persistence, to take me out.
To get Him off my already messed up life,
I could have said "Get lost",
but He was so loving and gentle, I had to be polite.
I said "Ok, later - but not tonight,"
"tomorrow I’m free, if that’s alright"
He said "I’ll be here to pick you up at 6 sharp,"
"please don’t make other plans, to break my heart"
I heard, but didn’t listen to what He said,
well I had more important things, to occupy my head.
Evening came and He came too,
I didn’t have time for Him again, I knew.
I’ve run out of excuses, I’ve used them all
I’ve been so rude, but His love for me hasn’t changed at all.
Couldn’t He see I had so much to do,
or is He uninterested in what I’m going through.
How can He not see, my troubles, my cares,
the jobs, the mouths to feed, bills to pay
and all the problems that stare.
I decided, I must end it all,
His constant invitations were distracting
from my usual world and all.
I didn’t want to be pulled out from my world of sorrow,
but when I opened the door, His same gentle smile,
made me forget my worries for tomorrow.
He said "I’d like to take you fishing by the lake tonight."
I thought this Guy is crazy, how could fishing improve my life,
but I restrained my sarcasm, and with uninterested ears,
stood there and listened, his attempt for me, so sincere
This time he convinced me for a walk by the lake
Some food and meeting new people,
how much time could that take.
So I said "Yes" and off we went, to the lakeside nearby
I was amazed at the number of distressed people I saw
- Did I, daily, pass them by?

A woman sat by her door,
with eyes, scanning the streets
I asked Him, "What is she looking for?"
He said, "For her husband, who had taken all her savings
and left her incomplete"
I reached out and touched the woman
and she burst into tears
I was thankful to God, my husband works
and shares all my pains and fears.
A strange thing happened in me suddenly,
and I began to share
The Word of God welled from my heart,
of all His tender loving care
As I finished, I could see,
hope rising in her eyes,
she looked at me and thanked me
for the kind words and loving advice
We met a boy of thirteen ,gaping at the sky,
His eyes looked up, but I could see
there was emptiness in his sight
My heart cried out to see this boy,
sitting lonely and uncared
I went up close and found a single tear,
rolling down his face, so fair
I asked my Host, "What’s up with him,
why is he by himself"
He said "His father doesn’t care,
whether his son lives at home or anywhere else"
I told the boy of a "Father in heaven,
who really cared for him"
He blinked his eyes, "Thank you" he said,
nobody ever had shared any love with him.
My Host then turned to me and said,
"You look radiant my dear"
"I see no worries, no stress, no pain,
not even for tomorrow any fear"

I realised what had been going on,
the Word of God in my heart was stirred ,
God’s net of love was ready to catch,
the hearts that were disturbed
I had grown strength in my inner being,
by shining out God’s Love.
I didn’t worry about myself anymore,
I knew I was on a mission from above.
He said" You’re a fisherman and
that’s what I came to show"
"by sharing the Word of God to hopeless hearts,
your strength in God you’ll know"
"I called to make you fishers of men ,
not fishers of worldly cares"
My eyes then saw, my Host Jesus,
I knew, the net of God’s love is what the world craves.
That night we saved many more a lives,
from the seas of despair
Before they could continue being lost,
the net of God’s love was spread

I am a fisherman of God, oh a new
and strange joy I had found
As I carried that night God’s fishing net,
my life turned whole and sound
I go fishing now, without a care,
without a hook and without a pole
For God’s Word inside of me when shared,
has more power in it, to nourish that withered soul

Looking Back at God's Faithfulness

I am dedicating this post to share from my life, incidents in which God worked wonderfully and changed the situations a whole 180 degree turn.

I am the eldest of 3 children, me and 2 younger brothers Abraham and David. There was a time, when after I went to college, that my family was in spiritual trouble. My brother Abraham had become very violent, disobedient and had bad friends. My heart ached, my parents were sorrowful, my younger brother David was disturbed. The house was in unrest. In the meanwhile, at my college, me and my friend Mary were like David and Jonathan, she loves me dearly and we were 2 prayer partners ready to take on the world and so we did.

I had gone home for our summer break in 1998 and saw the condition at home. At that time, God had brought a book to my hand, named "The Bondage Breaker" through my friend and senior in college Geordee. I am not fond of scary stories and this was I don't know why I got that book book. I read it anyway and found myself interested in the way it deals with spiritual warfare. That was an eye opener for me. So when I saw the situation at home, I was ready to try what Neil had said in his book.

I remember that evening, a blind uncle who often visited our home had come to meet us, he works for Bible Society of India. Though uncle could not see through his physical eyes, God had given him the ability to see spiritually, our struggles. He told us, the reason for what had been going on with my brother. And boy I was mad at the devil, so I met my brother, Abraham, I asked him if he could say "Jesus is Lord", he replied, "I don't believe in your God". I knew that was it...so me and my parents got together and prayed a violent prayer...I had never prayed that effortlessly and violently before.

The next day I left for college, then at college, Mary and I continued to pray for thim from June until October 1999. In october, my brother called me(he had never done that ever before) and said, "Please pray for me, I want to read the Bible, but I can't" I said ok and right there in that common room of my hostel, with girls chatting around, some walking around, I prayed through the phone. He said thank you and kept the phone. God had prepared a way for our family to see a miracle, that year.

Before the year ended, my brother Abraham was a free young man, he had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour and on 31st of Dec that same year, took water baptism to declare the same. I got to see him that year 1999, when I went home for Christmas and New Year. He was a changed person, his eyes shone with joy and he couldn't stop talking of our Lord Jesus.
He recently got a job and received good favour from his managers. I am so proud of him and so grateful to God.

Sounds like a fairy tale isn't it, but it happened in my life.
(I wish I could put pictures, but they're all those old reel format and back in India)

1 Chronicles 16:12 "Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,"

Warmth

A cold winter day, I look outside the window. Everything looks calm and sunny, but I know the weather desktop thingy is not lying when it says it is -7F outside. There is no snowing, the sun is bright, the trees look green(well almost), my heart wants to be outside and watch the people, the lake, the birds, the shoppers..but the desktop weather icon tells me its cold out there. There are a few people out there, running the trail, in boots, their bodies tucked away securely in the warmth of their thick lined jackets, hats and gloves.
Well I wanted to see for myself if the desktop weather was really really giving the right temperature- is it really cold outside? Well I stepped out onto my patio, without the jacket, without my warm mittens, without slippers of any sort to cover my feet, I am powerful I am braving the chills.
Soon my power gives up on me, the warmth of the heater that kept me warm inside my cosy apartment left me almost instantly. My fingers and feet stop feeling anything, its not cold anymore, I'm standing on something hard, yeah just hardness of the patio wood. The feelings of coldness are leaving me slowly, starting from my feet, the ground on which I stand, I know I stand, but with no feeling of cold anymore, the feet, they're going numb, the blood I guess will stop flowing in that direction a few more minutes from now. I don't turn to go inside, well the door is still open, my room heater still keeps my living room warm, but I don't go inside-why?
I search my heart for answers, there is nothing great outside here, its only cold, I can't even focus on the things I wanted to see, then why?..I'm adventurous and bold....I reason further, still standing on my numb feet, oh it won't be warm inside after all, who's there for me if I go in, who will make my life interesting if I go in? Maybe the one's that showed me their warmth, will warm me up again...but maybe if I venture out for some more time I will like it, let me stay a little while longer...my feet don't respond to the fact that my brain sent them signals to wiggle. They're wiggling alright, but I don't feel anything anymore...soon it will be too late to return...but the door's still open...I turn and go in.

Sin is like that isn't it? When eve was roaming around in the garden, she came across the tree of which God said "Don't eat it." and satan comes by luring her,the master of all sin and lies, he says "Did God really say you shouldn't eat it?". There is the seed of doubt planted against the very Person who 'birthed' her and called her His own. Seems so glamorous, sugar coated on the outside looking, but inside , it holds sweet poison. It slowly kills the feelings, the very feet you stand on, loses its ground, until you feel nothing, you're numbed to sin and wrong doesn't seem wrong anymore, the feelings, that make you human are gone.Sin cares for no one, sin doesn't come to show you the pretty sunshine, but take you out from the warmth of your feelings, the feelings that help you guage right from wrong. It skews your ability to see black and white, shows you the greys and soon, there will be nothing but black, the feelings gone, conscience dead. The body will follow the way of demise soon, sin hurriedly tries to gain the most control, to speed up this...

However the door to warmth and life still remains open and it's hardly away from you."11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ...14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. "Deuteronomy 30:11-15

It is never too late to turn to God, never. What you've been looking for, is right behind the door, named Jesus. Enter in and feel the warmth of His love.