Life is like fish.

There are poisonous ones, colorful ones, in fact there are even colorful poisonous ones. The creative diversity of God is spectacular beyond imagining. He created the common gold fish as well as the exotic lion fish. There are deep water fish and bass that live in shallow lakes. Catfish eat whatever “falls on the floor” of the lake and the trout catch flies on the surface.

So what! Why the lesson in ichthyology? Like I said, “Life is like fish.” If you think about it, people fall into many differing types just like fish. There are people who are just a joy to be around because they are full of life and add color to any situation they find themselves. There are those people that look like great folks but they are filled with every type of foul poison and then there are those who make no pretense, they are just nasty from the word go.

There are people who are loners like the whale shark. They are quite content to just be who they are but have no great need to be around others. On the other hand there are people who only feel comfortable in groups like a school of fish. Society has its “catfish”, those among us who are nothing but bottom feeders and then there is the fabulous salmon. Here is how I came to the conclusion that “Life is like fish.”

Salmon are hatched in the shallows of a stream somewhere and when the time is right, they swim or rather float along downstream to the great big ocean. There they eat and eat and grow (and did I say eat?), for several years. Then at the appointed time, by God’s design, they head back to that little stream to lay eggs and fertilize them. Then they either die of old age, get caught by a tourist, or eaten by a bear. I know that this may sound harsh, but it is life.

To quote a preacher I enjoy hearing, Chuck Swindoll, “So what!” I know that my rabbit trails are known for the scenery but there always comes the time to try to figure them out. Since our loving God took care to furnish His creation with so much variety and splendor, how much more does He care for us, His precious creation? It would be so much easier to just float along and conform to social norms, but I would then end up out at sea. I was talking recently with a young adult who was ready to just give in and go with the flow. That was when I was struck with the salmon example. The salmon was created by God to swim upstream and not rest until the task was completed. We as Christians are just like that, we too are called to be different than all the other fish around us. We are called to a higher standard and following Christ will often find us swimming against the currents of life around us.

In Matthew 7:12 we have the “Golden Rule” and it reads like this in the Message. “Here is the simple rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.” In verses 13 we have this well known saying, “Enter in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in that way.” Again in the Message it reads like this: “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life, to God!, is vigorous and requires total attention.”

Don’t give up and give in, be strong and of good courage!

Your fellow servant in HIS service, Tim Meyer

From a recent e-mail

Dear Inside Out friends. Jesus says to “Take up His yoke, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.” I can only assume that this is true because He is carrying ALL the weight. I want to thank all of you that respond with encouragement, it is so appreciated.

As of the writing of this update, our family has seen the deaths of 3 teenagers in the last month that we had a history with. Just yesterday, May 28, 2006 another teen mother lost her infant to some unknown sudden death cause. As is this were not enough to drive us to our knees, my wife and I have been getting our medical degrees over the past three and a half years, one ailment at a time. The next adventure will be on June 7 when Debbie will be undergoing a three level spinal fusion.

Through all the trials we have had personally, you also know that my father, Jerry Meyer, went home almost a year ago. While talking to the grandfather of the young one who died yesterday, I just said, “What can I say? God is faithful. People say that God can do anything, but there is one thing God can’t do, and that is fail to be faithful to His word. We MUST never forget that God is God and we will not always be able to figure out life’s puzzle this side of Glory, but He is Faithful and True.”

I look forward to the continues prayer support all of you have given us and ask that you continue to work together as the family of God to comfort each other and especially those who don’t have the eternal Hope that we have and share in common. As we approach Father’s Day, let me encourage you to be more like Jesus was when He was in the temple. He was about His Fathers business, let us do likewise.

Your fellow servant in HIS service, Tim Meyer