You can still change

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

Jesus, teach me to remember that it's never too late to do things differently! Amen.


YOU CAN STILL CHANGE

At the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sat in a fishing boat to teach. Then He told Simon Peter, its owner, "Throw your nets out again." "We've caught nothing all day!" Simon said - then got nets full of fish! Simon said, "I don't deserve this. I'm a sinner." But Jesus replied, "Don't be afraid. Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of people."

All the fishermen left everything and followed Jesus.

Have adults been shaking their heads at you lately? Maybe you've been struggling in social studies, or you're feeling angry all the time so you end up in fights. Maybe you haven't been listening to your parents, so you've been grounded over and over. Maybe you're just down on yourself, telling yourself you're ugly or stupid.

This week's Gospel (Luke 5:1-11) is about people just like you - the many, many people Jesus met, who were all struggling.

Simon Peter and his friends were fishermen - a hard job, because they never knew if they'd catch enough fish any day to feed their families. On bad days, they must have been tired and angry, arguing over where to find fish and scared they wouldn't catch any.

When you get into a cycle of fighting, getting low grades or not listening, it's easy to tell yourself, "This will never change" - or even, "This is my fault, so I don't deserve anything better."

Simon Peter did that! Jesus gave him lots of fish, and the first thing Peter did was to point out, "I'm not a good person. I'm a sinner. Why should you give me good things?"

Jesus' message was simple: "You can change. Follow me."

You can change, too. Failing or fighting doesn't make you a bad kid; you need help to figure out how you got into the situation and how you can handle it differently. Help comes from caring grownups, and also from God. Remember, Jesus said, "Don't be afraid!"