Again

Read John 21 here 

Peter knew that feeling--the quick slip of the wet net ropes through his hand. His hands were shaped to the oar handles. The Galilee sea wind welcomed him back playfully as it slipped its wind-fingers through his hair. Even the dawn sun seemed to smile to see him back on the water with a deep rose. He was back out fishing. The same where he was three years previous.

Perhaps his hope was as numerous as the fish--nothing caught.

Perhaps that was what he thought he was only good for. Jesus was alive--but Peter had blown it, more so than the Galilee squalls. His denial had twisted his sails far away, far back, back to fishing. He was not a disciple. He was Betrayer.

And Jesus came--back to where he was three years ago.

Jesus comes--back to our misguided attempts, our failures, to those areas where we have seen no progress. To those hurts, our habits, our struggles that we thought we’d surely have been over by now. How can the perfect Lord of all power and strength bear to look there again? Bear with us in that again?

And there the Lord comes. And gives fish. Gives hope. Restores. Recalls.

May you feel the Lord’s deep patience. You are not alone in your struggle against sin, against that place, against the old, against that-of-no-hope. He will come to you there, again. Again.