Set Down Your Net
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple of deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle—do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Consider how much lighter, how much more free, you feel when you’re living a life that is genuine to you.
But most of all
I'm thankful for loving who I really am.
I'm beautiful.
Yes, I'm beautiful.
And I'm here.
- Celie, The Color Purple (musical)
Psalm 25:4
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Matthew 4:18-20
As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Food for Thought
Recently, I’ve been listening to the song “I’m Here,” from the book-turned-movie-turned-musical The Color Purple. It’s a powerful anthem about realizing your own self-worth and rejecting the lies you’ve long believed about yourself. This song strikes a particularly resonant chord with me.
For a long time, I operated under a system of lies—inner thoughts that convinced me I was unworthy, that I was unlovable, and that my only shot for being worthy or lovable was to behave in certain, expected ways. I found myself compromising who I was to instead become the person I thought I was supposed to be. And, though deep down I knew I was not in a healthy place, it felt impossible to let go of those lies. In many ways, those lies had become my identity. I had let them define me and had become comfortably accustomed to them.
However, through the grace of God and the wisdom of some incredible friends, I was able to finally see that the person I had become was not “who I was.” Those may have been experiences I was living through, but that was not the life that God had intended for me. When I finally let go of all those lies, I felt the most profound relief. And only then was I able to find my way to a path that felt healthier, more fulfilling, and more “me.”
Recently, though not in the same way, I have again begun to feel that I’m not where God wants me to be. My attention gets drawn to areas of my life that have become comfortable but are constantly abuzz with the tension of feeling like something isn’t quite right—isn’t quite me.
This tension makes me think about those earliest disciples in a different way. Before they met Jesus, they were fishermen. Fishermen who, I imagine, had likely been raised to be fishermen, following in the footsteps of generations before them. And yet, when Jesus invited them to drop their nets and follow him, they did so—immediately. I wonder about what they might have been feeling in that moment. Were they shocked at their impulsive obedience to someone they really didn’t know? Were they excited about this new, unexpected opportunity to learn from such a captivating man?
Or might they have felt some relief?
Scripture tells us that Peter and Andrew followed Jesus immediately, with no hesitation or indecision. Immediately, they left behind perhaps the only life they had ever known. Is it possible that in all the comfort a set path can offer, deep down they knew that it wasn’t right for them? Had they secretly been hoping, waiting, aching for someone to just give them the opportunity to live a different life? To give them an out? All it took was for God to point to a new path and to invite those fishermen to set down their nets—to set down the weight of obligation, of societal norms, of survival—and follow it.
It really is easy to stay in what is comfortable, even if we know it isn’t quite right for us, not quite where God wants us to be; even if it’s unhealthy or unfulfilling. And it can be hard to figure out what truly is the right path, or to find the courage to make that first move once it’s been made known to us. Sometimes it’d be nice to have some clear direction—someone who finds us at the shore of our everyday lives and says, “Hey, you! Put that down. Drop that “net.” You’re doing this now.”
Whether we notice it or not, God graciously extends this invitation to us every day, the invitation to let go of the weights to which we are bound so that we can follow the paths God is calling us to walk. Sometimes, setting down the heavy, cumbersome nets we’ve clung to for so long and untangling ourselves from the expectations, the lies, the hurt, and the fear can seem impossibly difficult. But it’s necessary. It’s necessary so that we can move closer to who God has truly called us to be. What have you been holding on to? What is weighing you down? What would it feel like to release your grip and breathe in a sigh of relief as you set down your net?
It is the perfect time of year to make a change. Be honest with yourself. Are you feeling any tension in your life that something isn’t quite right for you? Are you carrying a net you need to set down? Talk with a friend or someone you trust about what it might look like for you to set down that net and follow a new path.
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Blessing
Our Loving Guide,
Thank you for your ever-present invitation to follow the paths you are pointing us toward. Give us the courage we need to change what needs changing so that we might move closer to who you are calling us to be.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Share about a time that you “put down your net” and made a drastic change in your life. What called you to make that change?
What are some things that keep you from making difficult changes in your life–a fear of failure? A sense of security? Something else? How can you move past that?
Is there an area of your life now that you feel needs changing? Share this with a friend. Perhaps the support of your community will give you the courage you need to make the first move.
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask your child what they find comforting. Are there special stuffed animals, or foods, or routines that bring them a sense of security or ease? Share your own sources of comfort.
Sometimes being outside of our comfort zone helps us grow and learn more about who we are. Share about a time when you didn’t have access to those comforts. How did you cope with that situation? Did you learn anything new or find new tools for dealing with the situation?
Draw a picture about a time when you tried something new. What did you learn about yourself? How did you find the courage to do that new thing? Now draw a picture about something else you’d like to try one day!
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
The Welcome Table Team - We are “The Bunce Girls!” Originally from Lexington, North Carolina, we were raised surrounded by music, justice, and faith. We spent most of our Sunday afternoons gathered around an open table with family and friends where the food was plentiful, stories and laughter connected our hearts, and where the presence of each individual was held sacred. It’s those moments that have inspired The Welcome Table.
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