What would it take for you to drop everything and pursue an entirely new life?  Why would you? You have a life.  What do you think? What would prompt you to take off from everything you know for something entirely different? What if it was a former carpenter and itinerant preacher talking about the kingdom of God come near?

I raise these questions because I have been reading this week about four people who dropped everything they knew and followed Jesus on the greatest fish story ever told.

And it has a great ending – A divine ending indeed. But, you know…..as unfaithful as it sounds – it would be just my luck, that my “drop everything” story would not end nearly as divine. What would it take for me to drop everything and pursue an entirely new life? Why would I do? Is that really what God is asking me to do?

I know I can be hard headed. Ha! Well, just sometimes. But, in all seriousness, I never think I am doing enough for God. What is enough for God? Does that mean taking a leap of faith? Does that mean striving for perfection? What does it mean to take off from everything we know and fully follow God?

I often ready the story in Mark (chapter one) about Jesus calling the disciples and I wonder, “How can I do that?”. Then, I listened to a message presented by Larry Secrest. He is presently the Executive Director: Volunteer in Medical Missions, but in early 2015 will be leaving to live in Lima, Peru. He reminded me [and all of us] that I am not as much a failure as I think I am. And, even more, I realized, I do have the ‘job offer of a lifetime’! I have the chance to share God’s grace each day.

Larry reminded us all that we can’t all drop and literally “go”. But we all can take part in the great mission by being people of God – transformed by the power and grace of Christ. It is to be ‘turned on our axis’ from one way of living to another.

Just yesterday while checking out at the Ingles Grocery Store on Main Street in Anderson, Zack was helping me check out. It was a rainy day and the store wall full. Zack had one of those wonderful positive attitudes that just leaped across the counter. Never enough lines open of course, so I thought I might help out in the stress of the moment and bag my groceries. He commented on the hectic check-out situation, “I wish everyone would just learn how to work”. Of course I had to respond. “You will reap the reward from putting in a good day of work, and they will reap theirs as well.” Well, that began a dialogue about work, good works and how he believed no matter how hard he worked he would not get any rewards. “Why is that”, I asked? He then began to share with me what a bad guy he really was, he knew he was, he was to blame and he was responsible for changing that. “Well”, I said, “You know what most other people do?” “What?” he said. “They blame other people for their bad choices, so you at least accept responsibility for who you are. That is a start.” Zack went on to share a personal story about a past relationship and how he left that relationship with the label hypocrite. Wheww, the stuff of life was entangled in this young man’s life. He clearly had understood the depth of the word repent, but was being held hostage, entangled by a voice of his past. There was not time for a longer conversation. My bill was totaled, I said, “Credit Card please” And, with that Zack and I departed. Of course I had one more thought to share before I pushed my groceries out into the rain, “One step at a time Zack, one step at a time”.

My journey to follow the teachings of Jesus the Christ began over thirty-one years ago. It was during a time much like Zack’s. I am still learning what it means to stop, drop and let go of the stuff that tangles my life and keeps me from fully following. Yet, God – who began a good work in me, reminds me every time I read the word “repent” that I am to ‘be turned’ from the ways of this world the ways of the eternal world; One step at a time, One step at a time. I believe that. That belief continues to grow deeper and deeper roots and pushes me to action. Never fully perfect, I keep taking one step at a time.

Join me in the being a participant in the greatest fish story ever told. One step at a time.

-Debbie