Empty Nets

"Empty nets, Lord.

Moments when the strands that keep my life together seem tenuous,
thin threads incapable of holding anything of note.
My fishing futile, with nothing much to show for all I’ve done.

I sit with Peter and his friends,
cold in the dark, my minds amalgam of faith and uncertainty in equal parts with hope and fear,
not knowing what’s best, what my next move should be.
Times when I sit alone, human and vulnerable,
boat drifting in an early morning mist of fearfulness – net snagged on disappointment.
And yet you’re there, walking the edges of my life.

Calling me to one more effort,
your presence tempering the dark, your sunrise scattering the mist.
And when I move to try again, your early morning promise offers me warmth and welcome,
and the reassurance that my life is lived with you and the darkness,
and the mist don’t count.” - Eddie Askew

I absolutely love and appreciate these words from Eddie Askew. His prayer puts into words some of the fragile moments of my own faith. Eddie Askew served in the Leprosy Mission (TLM) for many years and used his talents as an author, speaker and artist to bring hope to all who suffered with Leprosy. For more on his life, read this splurb.

Living in Grace

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Looking for direction

As we contemplate Jesus' appearance to the 7 disciples, at the Sea of Galilee (John 21), there is an interesting connection between night and day - darkness and light. 

“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. - John 21:3-4

The disciples were feeling lost and so they went back to the work that they knew. However, even that didn't seem to be working out for them. So, into this situation Jesus appears and starts to renew their purpose and direction. He shares breakfast with them and reinstates Peter, giving him his new mission. 

Eddie Askew – “It was a dark night for them, out on the water, and the enveloping mist must have emphasised their sense of isolation. Yet at their lowest point, their empty nets a metaphor for their empty lives, Jesus is there on the shore. They can’t see him, but he is there, sharing the dark hours, waiting to welcome, warm and feed them round the fire, ready to point them in a new direction.” 

God is always willing to point us in a new direction, especially if we are willing to be used for his glory.

Living in Grace

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Taking note

I came across this beautiful prayer from Eddie Askew this morning. It is such a lovely reminder of what the Resurrection means for us all. It is my hope and prayer that you would enjoy it as much as I have done. God bless you.

"Forgive me Lord,
for all the times
I walk through life head down,
my vision limited to the immediate.
Confined within the pressures of my day
problems press in,
expand,
prevent the recognition
that we both desire.
I find it hard to look beyond the obvious,
my mind so sealed
it almost breaks imagination's fingernails
to prise it open
to the wonder of your presence.

Yet you still walk with me,
each step a revelation of your love,
a gentle leading on
to boundaries of understanding
I've not yet crossed.
Have patience, Lord.
Help me see
your hand at work
shaping my life,
and make your nearness a delight
that turns my mourning into joy."

Living in Grace

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Lord help me

Eddie Askew has written some phenomenal poems and prose over the years. In his book Disguises of Love he writes a lovely piece on praying - the last part of this prayer goes like this:

Lord, help me.
When I pray for peace, help me not to create dissension.
When I pray for my neighbour stir me up to help him.
When I pray "Your Kingdom come" inspire me to
share in its building.
Help me put my will where my mouth is.
And not to shift onto your shoulders
the things I can do something about myself.

Eddie Askew
(Disguises of Love)

May this prayer guide you through your activities today.

Living in Grace
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Prayer in times of fear

I really appreciate the work of Eddie Askew. He is a wonderful poet and author. He wrote a lovely prayer in his book 'Facing the Storm' - this is the end of the prayer:

"Lord, help me to sweep away the sand of fear...
blown, hard and persistently,
heaping unbelief in drifts across my life.
Help me to feel
in the prompting of new growth, 
the excitement, the hope and tension,
of your Spirit's purposes.
And when I don't understand
just where it's leading to, 
help me to welcome it."

Proverbs 29:25 - "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."

Living in Grace
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