High Seas

On a sailing trip few things have more influence in altering your plans than the weather.  One year in the Bahamas our plan was to set sail from Bimini early one morning as the sun rose above the horizon.  Dinner the night prior was suddenly interrupted by our unusually frantic captain.  Captain Joe told us to return to the ship as quickly as possible.  An apparently significant storm system was heading our way and we had to set sail in order to get ahead of it!

Our 64-foot sailboat was already prepped and we were able to embark quickly.  As we departed the harbor and set our course, I realized this was not going to be a smooth ride.  The waves we were facing were already 15 to 20 feet high and from what Captain Joe had told us it would not calm down until we could see the lights of Miami.  

Most of our crew, desperate to get away from the chaos surrounding us, chose to hunker down in the galley. Even in the smoothest of seas I don’t like being below deck and it was miserable in the storm. A few of us decided to go to the front of the boat, a location that would probably deliver the best ride. In those high seas, the bow would rise drastically up one wave and then dramatically drop down into the next. There I was, clinging to the rail, soaked head to toe, and laughing out loud as we charged forward toward our destination. I had definitely found the best place on the boat to “weather” the storm and I got to be among the first to see a most welcome sunrise that following morning!

“Others are like the seed scattered among the thorny plants. These are the ones who have heard the word; but the worries of this life, the false appeal of wealth, and the desire for more things break in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.” Mark‬ ‭4:18-19‬ ‭CEB‬‬

What do you seek? It’s not enough to just know what is good for our souls—we need to live into it. Life isn’t always smooth sailing and it’s easy to become entangled in things that restrict our souls from growing. Those same restrictions make us completely miserable during storms. Joy can be found everywhere, even in a storm. Jesus invites us toward a life of true fulfillment and—storm or not—it’s always the best place on the boat.