Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The New Fisherman's Tale

There was a fisherman alone in his boat far out in the deep ocean caught in a great storm. His boat was wrecked badly by the storm's waves and was minutes from sinking. The man scrambled to get all of his lifesaving gear strapped on himself and managed to get his life jacket on and his inflatable raft secure in his grip. In just a couple of minutes the boat's top deck was coming closer and closer to sea level.

Soon, the man was alone in the ocean, storm still raging and he was treading water still struggling to pull the cord to inflate his raft.  Waves were beating him down so badly that he didn't have much time between hits from the huge waves to pull the cord properly to get the raft open.  He lost all of his other gear that he hoped to have on the life raft once it was open.  Again a wave hit his body, this time harder than the others and knocked the wind out of him. Alone in the water, strapped to his life jacket, the man was unconscious face down in the water. The storm was relentless and before he could "come to", he breathes in too much water and is no longer breathing. His heart stops beating. He drowns.

Suddenly a boat appears seemingly out of nowhere, the storm is violent but this boat seems to be unaffected by the weather and the waves. A man of great light and peace steps out of the boat onto the crashing waves and walks to the lifeless man in the cold and raging waters. The mysterious man gathers the breathless man up in his arms and walks back toward his boat. Immediately the lifeless man begins to breathe. His heart ignites to a normal rhythm. The mystery Rescuer is now to the boat and placing the now alive man into his boat. The new man opens his eyes. The storm is raging all around him, but he sees a man unaffected. This man is of great light and peace. Drenched and shaking from the cold, the fisherman with new life speaks in astonishment.

Who are you?
"I am your Savior," the Prince of Peace proclaims.
Lord, I was dead and you brought me back to life. I will live each day to honor you for this gift of new life you have given to me.

As the Savior's boat made it to land, the storm had subsided. The new man stepped onto the beach in total amazement. He had never thought he would see land or life again when his boat sank to the depths.
"Master, what shall I do first in this new life you have given me?" he asked the Rescuer.
And the Savior replied, "Go and live for Me to show others who I am so that they may be rescued from darkness and brought into my marvelous light as well." And the new man looked up to see his Savior in radiant light walking back out onto the ocean unaffected by the weather or the waves. Turning to the docks to go home the new man saw his own boat completely restored and tied to the dock. He said to himself, "Fishing will never be the same again."

Each day from then on as he was out in the deep ocean doing his job, the new man-- the old fisherman, would hear His Savior's voice on the waves reminding him. "Son, I will be with you wherever you go, always, and even to the end of the age."

*This is a short story I wrote in response to my husband's and Michael Kelley's explanation of what really happens when we come to faith in Christ.  My husband and Mr. Kelley say that when Christ saves us, we aren't just in great distress like someone floating in a lifesaver on the ocean needing someone to pull us out of the cold waters.  When the Savior comes to our rescue we are dead in spirit and Christ saves us from death and darkness and gives us life....eternal life and abundant life on earth.  Christ saves our souls, thus saving our whole lives!  PRAISE GOD!  And then Christ asks us to live for Him and live our lives telling others about the Savior. This is so those who haven't accepted His salvation may have new life as well.*