The Whisper to Begin: “Follow Me” in the Ordinary
Beginnings are sacred. This week’s Whisper reflects on Jesus’s call to follow Him in the ordinary, reminding us that small yeses shape our future.
Mark 1:16–20
Opening Whisper
The invitation to follow Jesus rarely comes in comfort zones. It interrupts the noise of ordinary life, asking us to drop what feels safe and step into what feels sacred.
Introduction
There’s something breathtaking about beginnings. The way Mondays stretch before us like blank pages. The way Jesus called fishermen from their nets with just two words: “Follow me.”
Today we anchor in Mark 1:16–20, where ordinary men made an extraordinary choice in an ordinary moment. What stirs me about this passage is not its drama, but its simplicity. I think back on my own life and how many times Jesus was calling me even when I wasn’t awake enough to recognize it. Sometimes the most life-changing decisions don’t come with a spotlight. They come in the middle of our daily routines.
TL;DR
Jesus calls us when we’re willing, not when we’re ready. The disciples didn’t have perfect faith or full understanding. They simply said yes.
Ask yourself: What is Jesus inviting me to drop today so I can follow Him more fully?
The Call That Interrupts Everything
Walking the shore of Galilee, Jesus sees Simon and Andrew at work with calloused hands and families to feed. He says, “Come, follow me… and I will make you fishers of people.”
Immediately, they left their nets. That word immediately appears over 40 times in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus creates urgency without panic - the kind of urgency born from recognizing truth when it calls your name.
For me, the call didn’t come on a shoreline. It came in the middle of my addiction, in the quiet mornings when I couldn’t run from my own thoughts anymore. I didn’t feel ready. I wasn’t qualified. But just like Simon and Andrew, the question wasn’t about readiness. It was about willingness.
When God Calls from Your Ordinary
I used to expect God’s call to sound like burning bushes or angel choirs. Instead, He showed up in the ordinary. In conversations with friends, in Scripture I couldn’t ignore, in the stillness when I finally sat with myself.
In my twenties, I stumbled into moments I now recognize as flow state - an electric connection with Jesus, the earth beneath my feet, and life unfolding without effort. But I let the noise drown it out. Addiction and distraction became my nets. I thought I was living free, but really I was tangled.
It wasn’t until I lost everything and had to rebuild, day by day and choice by choice, that I realized God had never stopped calling. He doesn’t always pull us away from the ordinary. Sometimes, He calls us deeper into it with a new purpose. Those fishermen didn’t stop being fishermen. They became fishers of people. My story, my scars, my skills - none of it was wasted once I said yes.
The Wilderness That Shapes Us
Before Jesus ever called disciples, He Himself was called into the wilderness. Right after His baptism, He withdrew for 40 days of fasting, solitude, and testing. Three times the enemy tried to derail Him. Three times He stood firm, anchored not in comfort but in truth.
I think about my own “wilderness” the last three years after moving to Florida. It wasn’t the desert, but it felt just as isolating. No crowds, no noise to distract me - just me and God, and the uncomfortable parts of myself I had spent years running from.
But it was in that stillness I awakened. I began to see my soul was not the same as my body - and I could command my body what to do. The body always resists because it’s inherently lazy, but when you add structure, everything changes. Discipline becomes the doorway to freedom. Just as Jesus left the wilderness ready to walk into His calling, my wilderness season has been preparing me to say yes, again and again, to His call.
The Cost and the Promise
Following Jesus meant those disciples left their nets, their boats, and even their father Zebedee. Saying yes meant uncertainty, misunderstanding, and sacrifice. But it also meant walking with the Son of God, seeing miracles firsthand, and being part of God’s redemption story.
My own yes required letting go - of substances, of control, of the false safety I thought I needed. Letting go wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. But every release has made space for something better: peace, purpose, alignment with the One who holds me.
Every yes to Jesus includes a letting go. Not because He wants to strip us bare, but because He longs to give us something immeasurably better.
Anchors for This Week
One Honest Look: What nets might Jesus be asking you to lay down - not bad things, just things keeping you from a fuller yes?
One Step of Faith: Take one concrete step toward what you sense He’s asking, even if it feels uncertain.
One Act of Structure: Add one practice of discipline this week - prayer, journaling, walking, fasting - and notice how it opens space for God to move.
Journal Prompt for Today
If Jesus stepped into your ordinary Monday and said “Follow me,” what would you need to leave behind, and what dreams of purpose would awaken?
FAQ
What if I don’t feel called to anything specific?
Following Jesus often begins with small, faithful steps: love, serve, tell the truth, keep your word. Calling clarifies as you walk.
How do I know if it’s Jesus or just my own desires?
Jesus’s call always aligns with Scripture, serves others, requires faith over ego, and is confirmed through prayer and wise counsel.
What if I’ve made too many mistakes?
I lived tangled in addiction for nearly 15 years. If grace can reach me, it can reach anyone. Peter denied Jesus three times and still became a cornerstone of the Church. Your past doesn’t disqualify you - it often equips you.
Does following Jesus mean giving up everything good?
He asks us to hold all things loosely, not to make us miserable but to free us. What He gives always exceeds what He asks us to release.
What if my family or friends don’t understand?
Following Jesus may create tension. But transformation often speaks louder than explanation. Love them well, and let your changed life do the talking. The proof is in the pudding as some say.
Closing Whisper
The nets Simon and Andrew dropped are long gone, but their yes still echoes. My yes, shaky as it was, became the start of a new life. Your yes matters too - not because you’re perfect, but because you’re willing.
The same Jesus who called them is calling you - right here, right now.
With love,
Eugene 🌿
✨ Our Daily Rhythm (Updated)
Monday: The Whisper to Begin - Scripture and reflection to start aligned in God’s truth
Tuesday: Truth-Telling Tuesday - Honest living anchored in faith
Wednesday: The Midweek Mirror - Reflect on where you are and where God is leading
Thursday: The Frequency of Faith - Hold steady when the noise returns
Friday: The Sacred Exhale - Gratitude, prayer, and rest
Saturday: The Soul Letter - An intimate note to The Rooted Ones
Sunday: Whispers for the Week Ahead - A blessing and a prompt for the week
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