Colorado’s most
famous phrase: “I’d Rather Be Fishing” can be found plastered on cars, windows,
briefcases, ect. It is like a public announcement whatever they are doing in
life is not as marvelous as fishing.
Notice how I use the word “they” because for the 17 years I have lived
in the amazing state of Colorado, not once have I thought to myself, “I really
wish I could stand on the side of a pond, be attacked by mosquitoes, watch the
water evaporate, and trick a fish into eating a neon, sparkly worm-like piece
of rubber!”
I have never enjoyed
fishing in this sense but one of my favorite passages in the Bible revolves
around fishing. In Matthew 4:19 Jesus tells these everyday
fisherman to go follow Him and that He will teach them how to fish for
people. God tells each one of us that no
matter how ordinary and un-special we think we are, we can be disciples too and
fish for people.
For the longest time I thought this meant traveling to
third-world countries and teaching bible stories to the village children or
such activities that only “professional Christians” could do.
That thought changed a little when years later I signed up
for my first missions trip to South Padre Island, Texas to serve a bunch of
partying college kids. My only thoughts
were, “The beach sounds really nice right now. I can speak Spanish, and I’m
good at baking pancakes… so I guess I can use my skills to serve God?” God had
so much more in store for me than I imagined. Yes, He used me, an ordinary
person, to share the Gospel, relate to college students with my testimony, pray
with scary college kids, and do all that while facing backwards in a 15-person
van driven by pastor Reza! I saw so many hurting people turn to God’s strength
and protection in this week. It started a burning passion in my heart to fish
for people – to evangelize.
So how did I get from my experience on South Padre to this
Discipleship Training School (DTS)? It
was only the second week at CSU and I was searching for different missions
events, internships, summer programs and anything else that would get me across
seas to evangelize more. For every door
that was opened there was something to close it – even when I asked God about
it, I kept hearing a no. The more I listened I heard “Not yet, wait and learn.”
I assumed this meant to stay at CSU. After I returning from the nine70
Guatemala missions trip I found this Compassion and Mercy DTS. It was a school that
would first teach you and then send you to different parts of the world. I started receiving conformation after
conformation that this is where God wanted me to be. Every aspect that was
keeping me from the programs I earlier researched was not a problem anymore:
I worried how I would financially afford the school and
within the next week I got a call from my manager saying they would like to hire
me back for the summer with a promotion. I worried about getting out of the lease I signed on an
apartment. The girl who lived next door
to me had just decided to stay at CSU and would love to take over my lease. I
worried about letting Intervarsity (an on-campus ministry) down because I
already accepted a leadership position for next year. They explained that they
have been trying to kick-start the Latino ministry, La Fe, and it would be a blessing for them to use what I learn in
Mexico to build the Latino ministry at CSU. And another big fear: how do I tell
my Jewish father that I’m taking a year off from CSU to grow in my relationship
to God and share his love all because God is telling me to? After a long conversation my dad told me,
“It’s obvious where your heart is. It’s with working with the poor and at-risk
population. Like the work you did in Guatemala.” He is happy that I am
following my heart.
This is a perfect example of 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all
your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
So as much as I dislike
standing by the side of a mosquito infested ponds, I know these next 6 months
will put me in challenging situations where I have to find joy in the fact that
the sun is shining bright, there is water to swim in, and there are fish in the
pond to eat.
I’d love for you to follow my adventure as I
set out on a quest September 19th to become closer to God in order
to serve where he says “serve” and to fish where he says “fish.” So yes, I’d
Rather Be Fishing!
I would love to hear from you
with any comments or questions. Feel free to email me at erosing@rams.colostate.edu or call/text me at 970 372 8098.
If you would like to support my trip please visit http://www.ywamsandiegobaja.org/contact/payments-donations/. In the pull down menu
choose “Tuition payment…” and mention Emily Rosing in the note section. Thank
You!
