I spent five years living on my 37’ sloop and learned a lot about tides, currents, winds. For more about my life as a "live-aboard," see my other blog (http://lothlorien-lucy.blogspot.com/). But you don't have to be an ocean-going sailor to recognize the various winds that blow through your life.
First, there are harsh, storm winds that blow through our lives from time to time. We might lose someone close to us, or we might be faced with feeding the five thousand. Unless we isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, we will always be involved with a wide spectrum of humanity - of many personalities. Our individuals families, our work situations, our schools and churches, are all microcosms of that macrocosm we call LIFE - a miniature of the larger universe.
There will always be the stormy winds. It's learning how to reef the sails, how to angle across the huge swells that could cause disaster if not handled with expertise. And it is the stormy wind that will ultimately carry you in the direction of your goals.
Then there are the soft, gentle winds that soothe our souls, nurture our wounds, bring moments of peace to reassure us during the storms. Those are the winds we long for. It’s my own favorite kind of wind, just sauntering across the water. But those are not always the winds that carry us forward quickly. We need to be more than a "fair weather sailor" to stay afloat. We need the commitment that sticks with us, especially when the storms hit and threaten our existence.
The changing winds - the winds of change, are the ones that seem to be the most threatening, the most risky. I'm the kind of sailor who would much rather sail with steady winds I can count on. That's one reason I prefer ocean sailing to lake sailing. That hard stuff around the edges of a lake make fluky winds.
Years ago, I went sailing with a friend in her smaller boat, on Lake Pleasant outside of Phoenix. We ended up going in a complete circle just trying to keep the wind in our sails (an interesting metaphor in itself)! It was frustrating beyond belief!
But changing winds also keep us on our toes, keep us from being too complacent, allow us to use our skills and talents to push toward the goal.
No sailing metaphor would be complete without speaking of the doldrums -- those times when the winds simply seem to stop! All of us have experienced those times of life when the wind has gone out of our sails completely! Nothing we do seems to get us going again. In fact, sometimes we don't even want to get going! So what do we do?
We get angry, we look for reasons why the wind isn't blowing, we blame God for no wind, we blame someone else for the lack of wind, or we blame ourselves that we can't get moving again. One of the most difficult things for me to remember when I get into the doldrums, is that they don't last forever! So I allow that to become the time when I can catch up on neglected tasks on board.
And of course, there is the wind of the Holy Spirit. That Holy Wind playfully lifts our kites of hope and carries the seeds of creativity. That is the wind that refreshes us with spring rain, that twirls the windmills we fight, that sings to us and delights us with sea-spray!
It is this invisible messenger of God that allows us to be open to the future, to be open to God's surprises, that overlooks our journey - and carries us forward.
First, there are harsh, storm winds that blow through our lives from time to time. We might lose someone close to us, or we might be faced with feeding the five thousand. Unless we isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, we will always be involved with a wide spectrum of humanity - of many personalities. Our individuals families, our work situations, our schools and churches, are all microcosms of that macrocosm we call LIFE - a miniature of the larger universe.
There will always be the stormy winds. It's learning how to reef the sails, how to angle across the huge swells that could cause disaster if not handled with expertise. And it is the stormy wind that will ultimately carry you in the direction of your goals.
Then there are the soft, gentle winds that soothe our souls, nurture our wounds, bring moments of peace to reassure us during the storms. Those are the winds we long for. It’s my own favorite kind of wind, just sauntering across the water. But those are not always the winds that carry us forward quickly. We need to be more than a "fair weather sailor" to stay afloat. We need the commitment that sticks with us, especially when the storms hit and threaten our existence.
The changing winds - the winds of change, are the ones that seem to be the most threatening, the most risky. I'm the kind of sailor who would much rather sail with steady winds I can count on. That's one reason I prefer ocean sailing to lake sailing. That hard stuff around the edges of a lake make fluky winds.
Years ago, I went sailing with a friend in her smaller boat, on Lake Pleasant outside of Phoenix. We ended up going in a complete circle just trying to keep the wind in our sails (an interesting metaphor in itself)! It was frustrating beyond belief!
But changing winds also keep us on our toes, keep us from being too complacent, allow us to use our skills and talents to push toward the goal.
No sailing metaphor would be complete without speaking of the doldrums -- those times when the winds simply seem to stop! All of us have experienced those times of life when the wind has gone out of our sails completely! Nothing we do seems to get us going again. In fact, sometimes we don't even want to get going! So what do we do?
We get angry, we look for reasons why the wind isn't blowing, we blame God for no wind, we blame someone else for the lack of wind, or we blame ourselves that we can't get moving again. One of the most difficult things for me to remember when I get into the doldrums, is that they don't last forever! So I allow that to become the time when I can catch up on neglected tasks on board.
And of course, there is the wind of the Holy Spirit. That Holy Wind playfully lifts our kites of hope and carries the seeds of creativity. That is the wind that refreshes us with spring rain, that twirls the windmills we fight, that sings to us and delights us with sea-spray!
It is this invisible messenger of God that allows us to be open to the future, to be open to God's surprises, that overlooks our journey - and carries us forward.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment