Ruth
The sun rose above the horizon, casting a golden glow over the waters. As the morning mist hugged the shoreline, Peter stood knee-deep in the cool water and pulled at the fishing nets. The night’s toil had yielded little. He sighed and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead.
The village of Capernaum was stirring with the faint crows of roosters mingled with the gentle lapping of the waves. A small fishing boat rocked nearby, its worn wooden sides creaking with each movement. Andrew sat inside, his face dour.
“Another night wasted. We can’t keep this up,” Peter muttered, his voice tinged with frustration and fatigue. “Andrew. We need a miracle.”
Before Andrew could respond, a solitary figure walked along the shoreline. Clad in simple garments with an aura of calm and authority about him, the man appeared almost luminous in the early morning light.
He approached with a purposeful stride. His gaze locked onto Peter’s. “Simon,” his serene voice spoke Peter’s other name known only to his friends and family, “why don’t you try casting your nets on the other side of the boat?”
Peter exchanged a skeptical glance with Andrew. “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing. But at your word, I will let down the nets.”
There was something in the man’s eyes, a depth of understanding and compassion that touched Peter’s soul. With renewed vigor, they cast their nets again. Moments later, they heaved the nets with all their might, which were filled to bursting with an abundance of fish. Glistening scales caught the light, transforming the ordeal into something magical and surreal.
Peter’s heart raced. Shock and joy mingled into a flood of emotions that he couldn’t fully comprehend. He fell to his knees in the shallow water before the man. “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
The man smiled. “Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be catching men.”
Peter looked up. In that moment, an overwhelming sense of purpose flooded him as if the emptiness and struggle of his previous life were swept away by this simple, profound encounter.
As they returned to the shore, Peter left his nets, his boat, and his old worries behind to follow Jesus. The air, still tinged with morning mist and the scent of the sea carried whispers of a destiny he had yet to fully understand. Andrew hurried beside Peter, a shared look of awe and anticipation passing between the brothers.
The village, with its daily routines and ordinary concerns, seemed a world apart now. They reached a small rise overlooking the sea, a perfect vantage point to take in the vast expanse of water. Jesus paused and turned to them. “Come, follow me. I will make you fishers of men.”
An irrepressible excitement surged through Peter. He was no longer a mere fisherman, but a disciple, chosen to walk a path that promised transformation and salvation not just for himself, but for countless other lost souls.
