If you know me or Ted, then you know that we are sailors.  It’s our hobby; it’s our passion.  We love to take new people sailing so they can experience it at least once.  For some, once is enough.  For others, well, they keep coming back for more!  Many of the first time sailors are surprised by a whole new vocabulary of words related to the art of sailing.  Ted will tell you that there are NO ROPES on a boat – but there are lines with names like, the halyard, the cunningham, both an outhaul and a downhaul, a line for the vang, and a boom lift – among many many more strange sounding names.  The many sizes and colors of lines that we use on our boat can be confusing to the first-timers.  When we tack the boat and you need to sheet in the head sail, Ted may shout (especially in brisk winds), “….sheet, sheet, sheet!” as you struggle to grasp the right line.  With time and practice, a sailor learns what all the lines on their boat can do and knows how and when to use them. 

In the Christian faith, there are often many sailing references in describing a life journey.  Well, why not?  There was no transportation by planes, trains, or automobiles in Jesus’ day.  But most people understood travel by sea as well as the importance of the fishermen and their boats used to catch all important fish for food.  The Sea of Galilee is the stage for many stories in Jesus’ life.  Is your life in chaos and it feels like you are being tossed in stormy waves?  Well, Jesus can calm those storms like he did for the twelve.  Do you need peace in your life?  Pray for calm waters.  Have you gone astray and need to come back to your faith?  Anchor yourself to your Heavenly Father. 

I saw this photo the other day and I had to share it with Ted.  Now I’m sharing it with you!  Taken from the top of one of two masts on a great ship, just look at all those lines!  I wondered if every one of them had a name like they do on our small boat.  They MUST because how would anyone know what line to pull if someone tells you to, “… “hey, could you tighten up on the whatchamacallit line?”  How do you keep track of all of that?  What a mess it would be if they got tangled! 

So, it made me think. 

We are all on a journey through life … let’s say that journey is like a sailing trip across the sea.  Every line on that boat represents something that can be pulled or tangled, tightened or loosened:  Get to work on time, get the kids off to school, pay the bills, take your vitamins, change the oil in the car, mow the lawn, help the kids with homework, put the laundry away, get to book club, get 8 hours of sleep, grocery shop, and the list of life’s tasks can go on and on and on.  If there are no storms and we know how to set all our lines just right, we will have smooth sailing to our destination.  But, storms happen.  And many times, those lines wear thin or get knotted up.  Sometimes, it’s a huge tangled mess.  But the good news, the wonderful thing, is that if you have Jesus at your helm, you will never sink!  When a storm hit while Jesus was on the boat with his disciples, he was like, “… you woke me ‘cuz of a storm?  We weren’t going to sink!  I got this!” 

I don’t often ‘take the wheel’ on our boat – I’m better at adjusting lines.  There are times, however, when Ted has to do something and I have to take the helm for a short spell.  Here I am ….. Ahhhhhhh!  We had some wind and we were heeling to the side.  I held on for dear life and knew that I would only have to drive for a short time, until Ted got back in place.

Life a little rough?  Jesus won’t let you sink.  Put your faith in Him.  He will guide you to your next destination.  Ride out that storm.  Get your lines in order.

And sometimes … you have to hold on for dear life! 

Prayers for your journey,

just Laurel

you might want to read: Psalm 107:23-31