Written by Sara Thomas, a contemporary podcaster and writer.
You’ve given your all. You’ve cast the nets, led the team, done the work… and still, it feels like you’re coming up empty. John 21 gives a powerful picture of how Jesus meets you right there. The disciples, tired and disoriented, go back to what they know—fishing. But they catch nothing. That is, until they hear a familiar voice from the shore say, “Cast your net on the other side.” Jesus was already present. Already preparing a meal. Already inviting them into grace. He didn’t scold. He didn’t point out their failure. He simply invited: Come and have breakfast. This story reminds us: that Resurrection grace doesn’t depend on your success, Jesus meets you in your exhaustion and offers restoration, and your work doesn’t start with perfection—it begins with presence. When you feel like your work isn’t producing results, it might not be about doing more. It might be about noticing who’s already on the shore.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. [John 21:4]
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