Launch Out to the Deep — Tresta Payne

On Sunday I take my class of 4th-6th graders downstairs to sit in service. We are blessed by a visit from Amy, on leave from her mission in Asia, and I think the kids should listen in. They sit with Bibles and paper, drawing what they hear and chatting a little with their neighbor. Amy tells us in her second-tongue what the question always is...

"Aren't you afraid?"

Aren't you afraid to live alone? Don't you get scared at night? Aren't you afraid, being a single-woman in a strange country, where alcoholism is rampant and women are often subjected to violence?

She can answer a resounding, emphatic, faith-filled, "No. I am never afraid because I'm never alone. God is with me, always."

God has called her to The Deep.

After Amy comes our pastor, sharing verse-by-verse from Luke 5.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." ~ Luke 5:4

Verse-by-verse we hear how Jesus called them to do the thing that was illogical. To fish during the day on the Sea of Galilee, after a night of toiling to bring in empty nets. To go out in front of everyone, everyone who knows better than to try to coax fish into the net in daytime.

Nervertheless at Your word I will let down the net. ~ Luke 5:5

Give Jesus an inch, just a smidge of grudging, this-is-ridiculous-but-if-you-say-so obedience, and watch Him work. Watch how big your God is. See how He blows all your logic out of the water.

Then call for your friends to come out to the The Deep and help bring in the catch.

"Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. ~ Luke 5:10b-11

Two boat-loads of fish, enough for maybe a whole years' wages. They forsook all? To follow Someone Who wants to catch men, the way Peter and all who were with him had been caught - astonished. Mouths agape and common sense shredded.

The Deep is calling because that's where Jesus is. That's where your logic drowns, where your livelihood is magnified, where your knees buckle and your boats sink and Jesus says do not be afraid.

I'm looking for The Deep, warily looking and cautious. As much as I can talk about launching out, the doing is another thing altogether. It looks nice on paper, sounds nice when it's someone else's boat sinking, but me? I have this comfort-zone-thing and I need those fish to feed my family and can't I just surrender...some?

The Deep is calling us all out of that, in every little and big way. Read Luke 5 and see how radical this calling is, how in-the-face of religion it flies.

Amy is not afraid, because she has gone out into The Deep and never found herself alone there. Even when the emails don't come and the language falters and the food is not comforting. Even if it seems everyone else forgets, God never does, never leaves nor forsakes.

Will He do any less for me? Even if my 'deep' is somewhat shallow?

I'll never know unless I launch out.

{This "do not be afraid' comes up to me again, in Matthew chapter 1. I'm reading with the kids this morning and I hear the angel telling Joseph to not be afraid, this thing is of the Lord. I hope I'm getting this. Launch out. Do not be afraid. For those of you that I am blessed to fellowship with on Sundays, do you remember those words from a month or so ago? About going out in the deep, over your head? Without fear?}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I write and remember all He's done. Giving thanks, counting to 1000.

That's not true, actually. These are just the things that I noticed and took the time to write down. He does so much more! My family writes them down with me and we attempt to notice more, and I love it.

188. a dad who stays home with a sick kiddo

189. ice cream - Shelby's treat

190. getting my baby-holding fix

191. sun shining in on sick Ethan

192. transle googlate : )

193. Friends in Mexico

194. Picture blogs

195. email

196. 6 yrs. with Ethan Shashwat

197. quiet morning in the hot tub with my husband

198. working with an end in sight

199. thick slices of Uncle Troy bread for breakfast

200. the repeated "do not be afraid"