Breakfast with Jesus

Thoughts from a few days ago...

As I sat on the shore of the ocean this morning watching the sky change colors and grow brighter and brighter, I was thinking about the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he rose from the dead.  There are probably many differences between the Atlantic Ocean at Daytona Beach and the Sea of Tiberias, but I could still picture Jesus strolling on the shore in front of me and his disciples heading in after a long night of catching no fish.  My heart feels for them.  Then I hear Jesus call out to them asking if they have any fish.  No we don't, Whoever-you-are, thanks for rubbing salt in our wounds, maybe they were thinking.  They do obey though when Jesus tells them to throw their net on the right side of the boat.  I bet he laughed when they caught so many they couldn't haul it into the boat.  Then their eyes were opened and they saw that this wasn't just any man giving them fishing advice, this was their Teacher and Lord!

Just as the dark purples in the sky were turning to soft pinks, I was warmed thinking about the fire Jesus made on the beach for his disciples.  Come and have breakfast.  Four of my favorite recorded words of Jesus.  He cooked fish for them and broke bread with them, caring for their physical needs.  And it's not like he was rewarding them for their success out on the sea.  If he hadn't come along and made those 153 fish on the the right side of the boat to jump into the net, the disciples would have failed that night on the water.  Jesus provided the success, AND he showed his deep love for his disciples in a simple, yet beautiful way.

This morning I sat on the shore and ate breakfast with Jesus.  After a long "night" of working hard to meet new freshmen and love our leaders well, and then trusting God for the "catch", reflecting with Jesus on the confusion of the last few weeks was more than needed.  I'm thankful that I don't have to be successful for him to spend time with me and meet my needs.  

Big problems don't seem so big when standing under an expansive sky and gazing out into the expanse of the ocean imagining that the God who loves me and created all things is bigger than both the sky and the sea.  And this same big God over all the universe meets me there on the shore, makes a fire of charcoal, and invites me to come and have breakfast.