When our family goes on vacations, we love to visit national parks and historic sites. Between parks, seashores, memorials, and other venues, we have visited nearly fifty sites in the United States National Park system. The highlights of our trips for the kids? Not so much the natural beauty, scenic hikes, or history exhibits. No, the highlights are usually the gift shops. The kids find stuffed animals, puzzles, magnets, or other souvenirs, and I try to justify buying them as a “donation” to the park system.
In other parts of life, don’t we also get sidetracked by gimmicks or gadgets or something else? We are often surrounded by magnificent events or people or tasks, and all we do is “take in the gift shops.” We miss what is really there because we are distracted by the trivial.
Peter and the others had good reason to be fishing. It was their livelihood. They probably thought they would be fishing every day for the rest of their lives. And there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with that. But God had something else in mind for them. Imagine what they would have missed out on if they had declined Jesus’ invitation and remained in their boats!
Don’t get distracted by the trivial things in life and miss what God might be calling you to do. The gift shop isn’t all there is. He has so much more in store for us all.
Father, open our eyes to what you would have us do and where you would have us go. Help us to see beyond the trivial to the extraordinary. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Bret Lamsma
Bret Lamsma is director of faith formation at a church in Denver, Colorado, and has served churches in Michigan and California in youth, inter-generational, and educational ministries. Bret and his wife, Julie, have two children, and he enjoys hiking, camping, and visiting national parks with his family.
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