Living Life to the Full

This is Rufus.


Rufus is a male Betta Fish. He came back with Sandra from Sudbury at the start of one reading week, and never went back. A drop out?  Perhaps, but I think he would have gone back to finish his year if he had the choice.


Rufus is now my office roommate. He doesn't talk much, but he does react when I come into the room, especially if he hasn’t been fed in a while or I pick up his food shaker.

Betta fish create nests made of floating bubbles, blowing them with saliva. I wondered what that noise was. These bubble nests are for the fertilized eggs. The nest is guarded by the male until the small Betta fishes hatch. There is one problem with the nest Rufus built - he's in the tank by himself. There are no eggs to guard. Maybe he's giving me a hint!


Rufus has his little world, where he rules. He appears to be quite content, other than the nest thing, and comfortable - he certainly doesn't like to leave, moving amazingly fast when I net him to put him in a plastic cup while I clean the tank and change the water!


While I do have a nest and family for me to protect, I’m thinking there are more similarities between me and Rufus than might be apparent at first blush. I too have been quite content and wanted to stay in my little world, where I’m in charge (or at least think I am). I ask God to bless our family, to drop some blessings into our world, to provide what we need and want.

In the wild, Bettas live in Thailand’s rice paddies and ponds. This is a world Rufus knows nothing about, one where he likely wouldn’t survive for long - unlike in Finding Nemo! 


God has a far greater world for me too. Jesus is the way for those who believe in Him to be restored to God. He paid the price that I should have paid. But He didn’t do this just so I would have a clean little kingdom with a food plan and a ticket to Heaven when the time comes. 


Like Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, He calls me to do the same, to leave behind my little kingdom to follow Him and have life to the full, transformed to be free of the constraints of my little kingdom.


He invites me to be part of His enterprise, His Kingdom coming, His will being done, on earth as in Heaven. He wants to work in and through me to realize the full potential of His plans for me. Then I can be one of His witnesses, walking first-hand proof of the power of God to transform and empower lives.


My safe little world seems far less attractive...