Bloom Where You Are Planted

Matthew 4: 19 – 20

            Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men and women.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

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            When those fishermen in the above Gospel looked up and heard Jesus call to them, they felt this overpowering, unconditional love. That love was so strong that they dropped their nets climbed out of their boats and went running after him.

            When we hear this Gospel story it’s exciting and inspiring; but there is something behind the story that’s even more relevant and important for us: Even though those fishermen dropped what they were doing, followed Jesus and eventually became great saints, they still went back to work the next day. Those who had families still went home to eat supper with their wives and play with their kids.

            We know this from later Gospel stories that put them back in their boats hauling fish or caring for sick in-laws. We even have a story where they brought Jesus along with them in the boat. The point of the story is this: once those ordinary fishermen said ‘yes’ to Jesus, their ordinary lives were changed forever.

            When I was a child and heard this Gospel, I wanted to be like those fishermen and follow Jesus. But I thought that meant dropping everything in my life, leaving every relationship behind. As an adult I came to understand that we are called to follow Jesus within the circles and relationships of our own lives; we are all called to be builders of the Kingdom of God no matter what else we might happen to be doing.

            We don’t have to leave our world behind to follow that unconditional love. We can follow and embrace Jesus by unconditionally loving others. By so doing, we can make Jesus present in the circumstances and circles of our lives. It’s like bringing Jesus along in the boat as we do our work.

            There’s an old saying, “Bloom where you are planted.” God has planted each of us somewhere in the garden of time and space. We are rich, poor, single, or married. Some of us are construction workers, executives, doctors, homemakers, priests and any of a thousand other profiles. But each of us has heard Jesus’ call to follow him or we wouldn’t be moved by this Gospel story.

            So here we are 2,000 years later in our own personal ‘fishing boats’ – and Jesus is still out there standing on the shore, calling us to follow. Whatever the circumstances of our lives, whatever our individual roles and responsibilities and commitments may be, he calls us to be loving and forgiving, gentle and kind; to be a healing force for our world; to be fishers of men and women for the Kingdom of God — and that Kingdom begins right here on earth.

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Readers of this blog might enjoy these books by Deacon Lex. Both are available on Amazon.com:

Just to Follow My Friend: Experiencing God’s Presence in Everyday Life

Synchronicity as the Work of the Holy Spirit: Jungian Insights for Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Ministry