Mark 1:17 ....and I will make you fishers of men...
I know a man who loves to fish. He has spent most of his life fishing for something. Fishing for bass. Fishing for brim. Fishing for men. Fishing for the fish God placed in his waters, his friends, his employees, his wife, and his children. Most importantly to me, he fished for his sons, one of whom happens to be my beloved husband. He taught his sons how to be men, how to care for their wives and families, how to put family first, how to endure hardship, and how to go to work and make a living. He taught them what was most important in life.
He didn't just fish with his sons, he fished for his sons. He taught them the ways of the Lord simply by walking in the ways of the Lord. He did not fish with fancy lures or fancy rods, just with a pure hearted devotion to the Lord and his family. He raised a son, who by watching his father fish, not only learned to catch bass and brim, but also the souls of his wife and children. My husband did not save me. Jesus did. But along the way, he used the fishing of a father who instilled fishing in his son, to help turn my eyes to the only One who saves.
I am forever grateful to this family of fishermen, especially my husband who is by far the most patient one I know. He caught me on a fishing dock on Lake Oliver where he kneeled and asked me to marry him. That day, he decided I was a "keeper," but I imagine he didn't have a clue how complex this fish could be. He has often sat patiently with his line in the water, his prayers laid before the Lord, waiting for Him to work in my life. And he has persevered, endured, and loved me in the waiting. He has been the representation of Christ, a fisher of men in our marriage. A fisherman who does not abandon his line because God's timing looks a little different than his own. A fisherman equipped to patiently fish for his wife and children.
So thank you to the "fisher of men" in this painting, for the fishing you did for your son. In a way, you were also fishing for me and for my children. You are a blessing, and I am forever grateful for all the lines you have cast our way.
Mark 1:17 "...and I will make you fishers of men..."