Acceptance: Try the Other Side of the Boat

So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

– John 21: 3–6

Sometimes it’s that simple.

Try the other side of the boat.

What I really like about this passage from The Gospel of John is the dramatic difference between what the fishermen believe is the source of fish versus the true source, and how simple it is to have a complete reversal.

This is a miracle story after all. The disciples don’t even recognize the person on the beach who is guiding their efforts. That’s part of the revelation. I have been to a similar beach at Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and I see this biblical tableau play out as if it’s a scene in a movie.

Have faith that abundance is nearby.

Your future mate may not be on an online dating site, but she is buying artichokes in the produce section when you’re picking out red peppers. I once had a first lunch date fizzle into a friendship, but I ended up dating her best friend for six years.

My friend John once landed an executive CMO position at a technology firm, chatting up another Dad in the carpool line at the kid’s school. At another phase in his career, he contacted 44 people on a list, but it was the 45th and final person on that list who had the job opening that allowed him to move from Florida to Northern California.

If things are not going your way on something you care about, slightly shift the conditions or your approach.

Take a later train into work.

Park in a different parking spot, further away from the front door.

Speak to someone you wouldn’t normally speak to.

Jim Dollar, a Presbyterian pastor and photographer I knew in North Carolina, once told me, “if your day turns into a disaster by Noon, just go home, pull the shades down and go to bed, and give things another run in the morning. There are some days when there is not half-and-half available for your coffee, and other days when it is plentiful.”

In the “you’re getting warmer game!” of cold-warm-hot, you should be aware that you’re not as cold as you think you might be. Accept that nearby or next is a real possibility.

(photo credit: ILO Asia-Pacific)

© Light from Light: Redeeming Each Moment with Acceptance, Enjoyment and Enthusiasm, Jon Obermeyer, 2022