How God Got My Attention
Several weeks ago, at a pond I’d visited many times, I saw something I’ve never seen there.
I’ve seen beautiful ducks and geese there many times over the years. And even human families fishing from the bank. But I’d never seen any fish.
On this particular morning, however, there were no ducks or geese. And no other humans. But there was a raucous disturbance at one end of the pond.
With splashing and thrashing, a catfish was making its presence known. It was jumping not just once, but repeatedly.
As the fish’s splashy show continued, I pulled out my camera and took a couple photos, and then a video. Not only was I seeing a fish in this pond for the first time ever, but I was seeing a lot of that fish.
My attention was really drawn to this image. So much so, in fact, that I wondered if God would speak to me through what I was seeing. God often uses images from nature to speak truths to my heart.
The fish’s repeated launching out of the water reminded me of something that I had been experiencing for weeks, but hadn’t consciously labeled before then.
Several times a day, I realized, random painful memories were coming up. They were from many different time periods in my life, and were different types of memories. The commonality, I realized, was they all caused feelings of pain.
I hadn’t invited them, and wasn’t looking for them. But there they were, like the catfish, propelling to the surface.
Later, when I shared the jumping-catfish video with my mom, she commented that my grandma “would have loved to have gotten that one in a skillet.”
That’s when I realized what God had been preparing to show me.
Handing Over to God What’s Brought Up from the Deep
Though I wasn’t consciously trying to bring up those memories, they were emerging quite regularly. God knew this, and he wanted me to know that I could surrender each one to him. He was tired of the enemy using pain to pummel me.
As these things were brought up from the deep, my task was to hand them over to God. He would take care of them.
And he did. He traded them for peace.
A Prayer You Can Pray
Thank you, God,
that the sacrifice of Jesus saves, delivers, and heals,
including healing for my heart.
I give you all that I am, and I receive all that you offer.
Thank you for your care for me, your love,
and the life of peace and joy that you give me.
Peace Instead of Pain
In my book Remembering, River Carter follows God’s leading when a painful memory surfaces, and finds peace. Get your copy here on Amazon.
I pray you will be blessed as you read.
AmyLu
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Acts 2:21 | Acts 4:11-12 | Acts 16:30-31 |Mark 16:16 | John 10:9 | Romans 10:9-13 | Ephesians 2:8-9 | John 3:16 | John 14:6 | Matthew 10:22 | Romans 5:10
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Text content copyright © 2025 by AmyLu Riley. Photos copyright © 2025 by AmyLu Riley.
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