James 3:4 - A small rudder on a
huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the
strongest winds. (MSG)
We enjoy the lake that is in our city as much as we
can. Having a boat is an added bonus in our lives, and we are very grateful for
the time we get to use it. On one particular day, we were sharing the lake with
about 25-30 large sailboats that were also enjoying the summer's eve. We were
finishing our time on the lake and getting ready to go back to the dock, when I
noticed a boater in the middle of the lake. He appeared to be waving to boats as
they passed -- boats that seemed unaware of his waving and which continued on
their way. I expressed concern to my husband, so we made our way over to this
boater.
As we got within hearing range, he said that his
battery had gone flat. We brought our boat carefully alongside him, and my
husband offered him our battery cables to give his boat a boost. I was holding
our boat so that it would not bang about into his boat as they went about giving
his boat a boost. It took a few minutes, and then his engine began to run. We
stayed alongside him for a bit longer to make sure that it was going to stay
running.
During this time, we were all focused on our task at
hand, so much so that we failed to notice the sailboats with which we were
sharing the lake. As I looked up towards the horizon, there were two very large
sailboats coming straight towards us. Both had sails full of wind and were
coming at very fast speeds. They had been watching us and had adjusted
themselves so that they both passed us, one on each side of our boats. Had they
not been aware of us, it could have been a terrible disaster.
How often I am so focused on one situation that I fail
to recognize what is happening around about me. For me, it is usually in times
of conflict or distress that I become so caught up in the area of concern that I
fail to recognize that God is with me, until something or someone points it out
to me. We always need to be aware of the spiritual context of our situations and
know where our eyes are to be fixed, as the Scriptures clearly tell us:
Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(NIV)
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that You do see
everything and that You are in control in the storms of life. Even on a day of
boating, You are there with us. Your Word tells us that You will never leave or
forsake us, and we are truly grateful for that. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Julie Bowles
julieanni@rogers.com
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Thanks to http://daily.presbycan.ca
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