We are all trying to escape from the mighty suction action that soon will take place as our normally grand ship bellows and heaves it's mighty self deep into the sea. How do we help each other? What does it matter that we love each other passionately and want to be self sacrificing? How can we hear the cries of our best friends when our own cries drown out the sounds because of the loudness of our own? We are all going down!
It was such a short time ago that we laughed and danced and ate on fine china, crystal glasses clinking as we toasted the good life. The sun shone brightly,our children played hop scotch on the upper deck as we bathed in the spotlight of frivolity and fun. Some of our group were more daring than others, jumping into the deep waters of the pools, drinking of the exotic beverages offered, enjoying even the silliness of life for a short time with no work nor cares to worry about. We were friends, we stuck together, and we were on a great trip. All was good, we had pretty much figured life out, we stayed connected and traveled in sync with each other.
Who could predict an iceberg was lying in wait, barely scratching the surface of the waters ahead, and upon closer inspection hiding a monstrously multi-faceted chunk of destruction deep below?
Shouldn't we have suspected something bigger lay in the days ahead as we sailed the spacious seas of life? An occasional shark,a passing whale, a storm with waves slapping the sides of the ship - nothing prepared us for the constant battering of the Storm that matched any Hurricane that had ever been documented.
We wanted to count on each other for help, but it was impossible- it became every man for himself! Paddle hard , pray harder, or perish.
My story has a Hope filled ending. The end is not here, however.
This is a story of a modern day Pilgrim progressing on her journey. The boat I sail in is battered, but I am definitely in the lifeboat and not the ship I started out on. I am bailing, praying, looking to the skies for a sign of the rainbow as the rain pounds down.
The waves smash on and the boats I see around me are filled with friends battling sharks and sunburn, dehydration and exhaustion. All of us can occasionally see each other and wave, but sometimes even a wave takes too much energy. Certainly there are no opportunities for helping each other, the battle is too strong just to survive. The storm is relentless . Often I get a great night's rest, I pass a boat that shares some tasty morsel of food, and from time to time the shore is sighted. Ah, a quick glimpse of the shore gives such Hope! especially when we see a friend arrive, waving vigorously as an encouragement.I surrounded myself with good, strong friendships throughout my adult life, and still do consider myself blessed with a great group of friends. We supported each other, exchanged babysitting, recipes, and parenting tips. We laughed together and cried together and supported each other through crisis after crisis, all the while reminding each other of the love and Sovereignty of the God of the seas.
These same friends and others cannot save me. They cannot always fix my troubles nor listen to my sea stories. They can and do pray as they paddle, but I need Someone to paddle with me, to keep me safe and focused.
I find myself very thankful lately that I know One Who helps me and I now Him personally. I do not need my friends in my boat with me as I once imagined.
I just need Jesus.
He steers the boat, bails it out, patches the holes, fights off the sharks, gives me water to prevent dehydration, shields me from the hot sun, and keeps me company~ all the while encouraging me to keep paddling.
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