“Jesus said to them, ‘Come and eat breakfast.’ Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are You?’—knowing that it was the Lord.” John 21:12

Let’s Eat!

I knew I liked this Man—this God-Man, Jesus, who showed Himself to His disciples a number of times after His resurrection. I like that He used His knowledge of being human and being hungry in so many of His teachings. “Come and eat breakfast!” Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? We can all relate, and Jesus was and is relatable, if He’s anything.

In case the disciples missed Jesus’ other messages to them, He arranged for them to haul into their boat 153 large fish; not 75, not 49, no, exactly 153 fish that somehow didn’t break the net. And then, when the disciples got to shore, the fire was already in coals with fish laid upon it. Yes, Jesus was alive and well and wanted to share breakfast with His friends by the sea. This back-to-life Jesus was full of surprises.

Don’t you wonder what they talked about there by the fire, between those mouthwatering bites of barbecued fish and bread? I sure do. But one thing’s for sure, in John 21:15, we know this: “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.'” Jesus continued to quiz Peter two more times about his love for Him and gave strong direction to care for the lambs and sheep (us).

Jesus always had an important point for His meetings with His disciples, and He still does today. When we open our Bibles or a devotional, or take a walk in the forest, as we commune with Jesus, He will minister to us. For me, it’s been hard during this pandemic to settle myself down to truly commune and dine with Jesus. Crisis and catastrophe seem to be on every side, but the Lord is still calling me to the fireside for a supper of fish and bread that I truly need to survive.

When 2021 rolled around, I knew I needed a dramatic reset. I just had to do something different to regain my peace and relocate my joy. It felt like the world was a giant Shop-Vac set on high, sucking every bit of goodness and peace right up the nozzle. Life was messy and dirt flew around me like a cyclone. But God began to show me things that I could do differently to help restore my soul.

  1. I cut out 90% of the media that was bombarding me. No, I’m not one of those that believes the old adage, “No news is good news,” but for sure, too much time spent listening to gut-wrenching news, social media, advertising, etc. was robbing me of peace.
  2. I had to re-examine and limit some friendships. Ouch. Very hard, but the truth is, some folks don’t mean to drag others down with their negativity, but sadly, they do.
  3. I started a serious walking program! Yay! My “alone time” walking is like gold, as the Lord ministers to me along the way.
  4. I’m learning about “boundaries.” Jesus had them, and we need them to survive. He needed restoration from the draining crowds and hubbub, and so do we.
  5. I’ve started hugging again. Now, whoa, before you report me to the “social-distancing police,” let me explain. If we can find someone in our safe circle that needs a hug, I say hug them till their eyes pop. But the lack of loving hugs in these trying times may very well be one cause of the despair and depression that we are witnessing.

Dear Jesus, please show us how to continue being the light in our communities. We need Your guidance and strength. Thank You for leading Your children through this wilderness.  Amen!