How I Became a Deep Sea Fisher of Men

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ~ Luke 15:4
 
You won't find a non-believer inside the church walls.  You won't find him or her in a crowd of Christians holding hands singing kumbaya.  The non-believer prefers to be as far away as the east is from the west.  I wonder if the day will ever come that I give up because my nets are empty day after day, month after month and year after year.  Deep sea fishing is quite different from regular fishing.

I will never forget the first time I tried deep sea fishing with my best friend, his dad, and one of my buddies from my junior college tennis team.  The first day we all took Dramamine to prevent sea sickness.  The captain told us to go home because the seas were too rough.  We returned to our campsite and slept all day.  The next day we tried again.  I fished all day long.  Nothing.  My buddies were having success.  Then it happened.  I caught the big one – a thirty-five pound sea bass.  It took a long time to reel him in because he was so deep.  The joy I felt reminds me about the Bible quote from Luke 15:7, I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.  Yep.  It's all about the lost one everyone else gave up on.

I became a deep sea fisher of men because I can relate to the lost soul who doesn't want to be caught.  I know what it feels like to live in the darkness.  I also know what it feels like to take the bait.  It's life-changing.  It motivates me to keep fishing for the one everyone else gave up on.  Have a great day.