How often is the course of your life blown off course?
One Labor Day weekend my husband and I sailed out catamaran down the sound, through a narrow inlet, around the jetties and into the ocean. The waters were calm and there was no hint of rough seas. Saturday and Sunday, my husband took people for rides out into the ocean and from all accounts, everyone had a fun and safe time. But on Monday morning, we woke to the brewing of a northeaster. The winds were blowing twenty miles an hour and the waves were at least ten feet tall.
We were in a quandary. The boat had to be ridden to the sound side in order to get it placed on the trailer. Now you have to understand that I was filled with fear. Death gripping fear. Fear that had been birthed when I was thirteen and had been involved in a motor boat accident. The boat had flipped over, and then came straight towards me. All I can remember about the accident was being caught under the water, not to mention the multiple places where the propeller had sliced my back and arm.
Given we had no choice, and no other volunteers to take my place, I put on my life preserver and got on the boat. Immediately, we were thrust into the choppy waves and off towards our destination. But as quickly as we were away from shore, my husband realized that he hadn’t rigged the sails correctly.. With no other options, I was told to hold the ropes in place while he fixed them. This as we were whizzing over ten feet waves going who knows how fast. In that moment I knew that if one of us fell off the boat, it would lead to our demise.
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. (Acts 27:13-15)
In both of these situations, the boat didn’t take the course it was intended to travel. For Paul and the men who were with him, their boat was headed in one direction but the wind blew them along. For my husband and I the rigging was wrong and we were sent into the open ocean with a strong chance of being capsized.
It is in these situations, that we are forced to trust in God.
Spend some time with Him today. Ask him to assure you that He has you. And hang on for the ride of a lifetime.