Some journeys are harder than others. One of the hardest is when you have to go back to revisit the place where you failed. Failing at something effects us in so many ways. Sometimes it’s depression, sometimes it’s physical. The thoughts and feelings that you go through when you fail at something that is important to you can be devastating.
Peter was back in his boat, fishing. The last few days had been awful and he certainly felt the ill effects of failure. To make matters worse, the fish weren’t there, so he felt like a failed fisherman as well. He was with John and each time they tossed their massive net, they pulled it back in to find nothing inside them. To Peter, it must have felt like the whole world was punishing him for failing at such an important thing a few days prior.
Then they both heard a voice from the shore, calling out to them. “Catching any fish?” I’m sure that Peter and John both thought that it was just a casual villager, trying to be polite. The same way fisherman today ask the very same question. “Are the fish biting? Did you catch anything?”
But today, the only answer they could give was the one they shouted back at the shore, “No!”
Like many people, the person on the shore offered advice. “Try the other side of the boat!”. I’ve done the same thing, by telling someone to try the other side of the lake. I can almost imagine Peter sighing and thinking to himself, “well why not, nothing else is working”. I’m sure he thought that once again, he would be met with an empty net. Despite those feelings however, Peter and John tossed their net on the other side of the boat. They waited, as usual, before they could pull it in. But something quite odd happened. Immediately, the line to the net grew taught. With what I’m sure was surprise, they pulled in their net and it was full!
Now, at this point, I have to try and understand what Peter was feeling. For days now, he had been feeling like a failure. Suddenly, good fortune had struck and I’m sure he was standing their with his mouth hanging open in shock. I’m certain that Peter, the one who always spoke quickly, was stuck dumb. But John on the other hand…..
No, John was feeling something a little different. Oh, I’m sure he was amazed, but John knew that this was no ordinary run of good fortune. Not when they had been fishing all morning with nothing to show for their efforts. John looked back to the shore, and it hit him. “Peter! It’s the Lord!”
At this point, Peter whipped his head back to the person on the shore and saw the same thing John did. It was Jesus on the shore!
Despite what he had done, despite what he was feeling, Peter did the only thing he knew to do. He jumped out of the boat and swam as fast as he could to the shore… to Jesus. Finally reaching the shore, he hauls himself out, wet, dripping and chilled, and sees Jesus. Instead of speaking immediately, and making excuses, he saw what Jesus was doing. Jesus had prepared a bed of coals to cook fish on.
Just days ago, Peter had betrayed his friend, his best friend, and the man who he said was the true Son of God. Betrayed him! There he stood, not knowing what to say, or even what to do. I’m sure that he was expecting something along the lines of “I told you so”, but whatever he was expecting, was not what he got. For once, Peter is silent. What words could he say to his Master? This moment sends shivers up and down my spine. It is so Holy, that words can not explain it. Peter, facing the one he had betrayed, watched as the Savior is offering him breakfast. Once more, Peter is finding Grace in the presence of Jesus.
Now, think about your own failure. Are you to scared to admit it? To scared to talk to God, like Peter? You shouldn’t be. Just like Jesus offered no condemnation to the woman who was about to be stoned, he offered none to Peter, who had betrayed him. How can you expect less from him yourself? Jesus knows us, knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that there will be times when we fail. But he won’t hold it against us, no, instead, he will do what he did for Peter.
You might think about doing the same thing Peter did. Just stand in his presence, and be silent. Stand still and wait. After all, sometimes that is all a soul can do. To repentant to speak, too hopeful to leave.
You stand there, and you will be amazed.
He has come back. With love.
Keep trying, keep going, leave your failures in the past, and move forward and try again. This time, with Him. That’s the true nature of a second chance.
~ Kev
