When Jesus began His ministry, he approached two men named Simon and James on the shoreline of a lake called Gennesaret. These two men had been fishing for hours on end and weren’t able to catch a thing! They were cleaning up their nets and ready to give up and call it a day, when Jesus told them to go back into their boats with Him—if they wanted to catch fish—and cast their nets on the other side. Not very convinced, Simon replied: "Master, we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say, I’ll let the nets down again" (Luke 5:1-5, NLT).

So they got into their boats with their fishing crew, and when they put their nets in the water on the other side, they were brought to their knees by what happened next. Their nets filled so fast and full that they started to tear and the boat started to sink! Then Jesus said to Simon: "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men...So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him" (Luke 5:6, 11).

I had a similar experience in my life when my friend Hanna and I were discussing where God was leading us after our year in Cincinnati at the Ambassador Bible Center. Feeling much like I imagine Simon and James did when they knew they should be catching fish and weren’t, I told her I wanted to and was trying to stay in Cincinnati for college, but it financially seemed impossible for me.

Listening intently, she asked for a piece of paper, and then asked me what I felt the pros and cons were for staying in Cincinnati and for going home to Michigan. When it was all laid out, it was clear that Cincinnati was the winner. A few moments later and with her crooked smile, she handed me another piece of paper. On it was a faith line—the water on the other side of my boat. If you look in the picture to the right, you’ll see it.

I’m not going to tell you the end of my story. Instead, I want you to stop what you are doing and pray to God about your life’s aspirations. Tell Him everything in your heart and all of your goals. Because Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Then cast your net into the other side of the boat and be ready for God to rock your world.