He showed up when I was ready to give up

There are times in our lives when we are so overwhelmed by the circumstances that surround us, that nothing seems to work and everything seems to be headed downhill.
Filled with frustrations, we almost seek refuge in quitting.

It is at times like this, sometimes, when something or someone comes into our lives to bring our focus back to what matters. It is one such instance that I want to share with you today.
Frustrations and anxiety were building up from being unable to “make things work” according to my hopes, plans and dreams. And then, a good friend of mine shared a hymn with me that spoke to me.
The hymn is called “Lord you have come” by Cesareo Gabarain, a monsignor in Madrid who was the Spanish chaplain to Pope Paul VI. It is based on the story in Luke 5:1-11, when Jesus calls Simon Peter to put out the nets in the deep water for a catch.

Recalling the story, Simon Peter and his partners James and John had worked all night and hadn’t caught anything. Their frustration level must have been quite high for Simon to have answered Jesus the way he did, when asked to lower the nets again.

We know from that story, that when the fishermen let down the nets at Jesus’ beckoning, they caught a large number of fish that their nets began to break and the boats almost sank. What a change from frustration and hopelessness to an abundance of provision.

The gist of the referenced hymn suggests that the Lord did not come searching for the rich or the wise, but with eyes set upon him gently smiling, desires simply that we follow Him.

The hymn then expresses the desire to ask the Lord to take our hands and direct them and seek His help in spending our lives seeking the lost and returning the love that He gave us.

It ends by asking the Lord to be a resting place, our life’s companion, our friend and our refuge. For me, it brought back into focus, the things that really matter.

Just like in the case of the fishermen, He showed up when I was about to give up, and gave me a new hope and a new song in my heart.

It is so easy for us to get caught up in the negativity and frustrations we experience in our daily circumstances, and we want to give up. Let us, in those times, remember that there is a God who loves us and desires only that we follow Him, and that is where our restless hearts will find true rest, refuge and peace, a peace that surpasses all human understanding.