和家人外出渡假时，我们喜欢游览国家公园和有历史性的景点；从公园、海滨、纪念碑、再加上其他地点，我们已游览过美国国家公园系统中差不多五十个景点了。对孩子来说，旅途中哪一方面最为精彩呢？大自然景色、风景秀丽的远足、或具历史性的展览都算不上，礼品店通常才是最情彩的啊。孩子们找到毛绒动物玩具、拚图、磁石贴、或其他纪念品，而我则以“捐助”国家公园为名，购买了这些纪念品。
在生命中的其它方面，我们岂不也常常被花俏招数或小玩意或其他事物分散了注意力吗？我们其实有很多精彩的事情或人物或差事围绕着我们，但我们总是顾着“留意那些礼品店。”那些无关重要的事令我们分了心，以致我们忽略了当前重要的事物。
彼得和与其他的人继续打鱼，是合情合理的，因为打鱼是他们的生计，他们大概以为，他们每天都会以打鱼渡余生的，他们这种想法，也是无可厚非的。然而，神对他们却有不同的计划。试想想，假若他们婉拒了耶稣的邀请，继续留在船上，他们的损失将会是何等重大！
切勿因生命中无关重要的事分心，以致错过了神可能正在呼召你去作的工。礼品店不是一切，神为我们每一个人预备的，是远远超过这些东西的。
父啊，求祢开我们的眼睛，叫我们看见祢吩咐我们当作什么和当往那里去，又帮助我们的目光从琐碎事务转向重要之事。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
路加福音 5:1-11
1 耶稣站在革尼撒勒湖边，众人拥挤他，要听神的道。
2 他见有两只船湾在湖边，打鱼的人却离开船洗网去了。
3 有一只船是西门的，耶稣就上去，请他把船撑开，稍微离岸，就坐下，从船上教训众人。
4 讲完了，对西门说：“把船开到水深之处，下网打鱼。”
5 西门说：“夫子，我们整夜劳力，并没有打着什么，但依从你的话，我就下网。”
6 他们下了网，就圈住许多鱼，网险些裂开，
7 便招呼那只船上的同伴来帮助。他们就来，把鱼装满了两只船，甚至船要沉下去。
8 西门彼得看见，就俯伏在耶稣膝前，说：“主啊！离开我，我是个罪人！”
9 他和一切同在的人都惊讶这一网所打的鱼。
10 他的伙伴西庇太的儿子雅各、约翰也是这样。耶稣对西门说：“不要怕，从今以后你要得人了。”
11 他们把两只船拢了岸，就撇下所有的，跟从了耶稣。
“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” — Luke 5:10
When our family goes on vacations, we love to visit national parks and historic sites. Between parks, seashores, memorials, and other venues, we have visited nearly fifty sites in the United States National Park system. The highlights of our trips for the kids? Not so much the natural beauty, scenic hikes, or history exhibits. No, the highlights are usually the gift shops. The kids find stuffed animals, puzzles, magnets, or other souvenirs, and I try to justify buying them as a “donation” to the park system.
In other parts of life, don’t we also get sidetracked by gimmicks or gadgets or something else? We are often surrounded by magnificent events or people or tasks, and all we do is “take in the gift shops.” We miss what is really there because we are distracted by the trivial.
Peter and the others had good reason to be fishing. It was their livelihood. They probably thought they would be fishing every day for the rest of their lives. And there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with that. But God had something else in mind for them. Imagine what they would have missed out on if they had declined Jesus’ invitation and remained in their boats!
Don’t get distracted by the trivial things in life and miss what God might be calling you to do. The gift shop isn’t all there is. He has so much more in store for us all.
Father, open our eyes to what you would have us do and where you would have us go. Help us to see beyond the trivial to the extraordinary. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
