Carrying Heavy Nets

 

Pause
Whenever the water struck a stone it had something to say,
and the water itself, and even the mosses trailing under the water.
And slowly, very slowly, it became clear to me what they were saying.
Said the river I am part of holiness.
And I too, said the stone. And I too, whispered the moss beneath the water.
Mary Oliver in “At the River Clarion” (Evidence, 2009)
What is God saying to you today? Through whom or what is God speaking?

 

Listen
Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.”
So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink.
Luke 5:5-7

Think
We all have nets. In them, we carry a lot of things. Those things can feel like huge weights. There are physical weights like backpacks and bags of groceries. There are invisible weights. Thoughts in our heads. Feelings in our hearts. Sometimes they are so heavy that taking the next step or doing the next thing can feel almost impossible. Even taking a breath can feel like hard work. When you feel weighed down, and your net is splitting, who do you signal? Who are the people you call for help?

Getting support is the only answer when things are too heavy to carry. We have to practice getting support before we need it. Practice identifying the people we can trust. Practice going to those people and talking about what we are carrying. So when things get too heavy, we will know exactly what to do and whom to go to for help. These deep connections to other people and God can help us carry anything.

 

 – Patrick Kangrga

(more)

Pray
God, give me the wisdom to identify people whom I can trust.
Guide me to reach out to them whenever I feel like I am carrying too much.
And support them as they do their best to support me.
Amen.
 
Go
Where there’s water on Earth, you find life as we know it.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist
Spend time in the places and with the people who are your waters and life.
Seek out new waters and new life.
Be life to others.

 

From d365 Daily Devotionals – devotions 365 days a year
https://d365.org