Waves...

Several years ago I went deep sea fishing in North Carolina. I had never been out in the ocean away from land, and I was excited and eager. Catching fish was secondary to me. I was looking forward to seeing the world from a different perspective. But the idea of being the big bad fisherman with a couple of full stringers was also appealing. I took my motion sickness pill and we started out just before sunrise. The boat held about 40 people, and they were all lined up along the rails. So, I found a nice spot on the upper deck with a good view. It was glorious. Cutting through the water and feeling the mist in my face as the spray came over the boat. It was a clear day and you could see for miles. "This is going to be a great day," I thought.

We got the signal and everyone grabbed gear and found a spot at the rail. Then the boat stopped, and the lines went into the water. That's when it hit me. Amid the ocean waves, I was suddenly hit with waves of nausea. I've battled motion sickness, but this was like none I had ever had. While the boat was moving, I was fine. Stationary, the boat rocked in every direction imaginable. Left...right...forward...back...up...down.... All at the same time. They had a bathroom on the boat. It was about half the size of a phone booth. And it was worse in there. The motion was the same, accept you couldn't see out. I turned in my gear and spent the next 9 hours flat on my back in the galley.

At the end of the day, we started home and my symptoms immediately went away. Emerging from the galley, I was relieved to feel the breeze and only one direction of motion. One of my friends told me the captain had asked for me, so I climbed up to the pilot house and knocked on the door. I had a moment of envy when I entered the air conditioned room and saw the bunk in the corner, but then I realized the top of the boat moved worse than where I had been.

The captain asked how I was doing and then said, "Would you like to drive?" I said, "Sure!" I took the wheel and he pointed to our destination. A tiny point off in the distance. I was determined to show impress the old seafarer, so I squinted and aimed and held the boat straight. It was more difficult than I had imagined. The waves were not that high, but with their rolling, the boat wanted to go this way and that. But I held it firm.

After a few minutes, the captain said, "You're doing well, but it can be a rough ride. It's easier on the passengers if you allow the boat to follow the swells and just keep a general heading. Bowing to his wisdom I complied and began to only make occasional corrections. The ride improved dramatically. I learned something that day. Strictly following a straight course is not the smoothest ride. Allowing the waves to direct your path is the best way to get where you're going...if you're a boat.

Life is not a boat. Yes, in life we encounter waves. They buffet and push, trying to move us this way and that. Social influences, temptations, even culture and tradition attempt to impose their will on our lives. The straight path is often rough, and many people choose the easy route, but at what cost. Following the trends of this world, they exchange God's best for shiny things that do not last.

God says in Proverbs 16:25, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it is the way of death."

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-17, "Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You'll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit."

Allowing a boat to go it's own way makes for a smoother ride. But by doing so, it is easy to lose sight of the goal. The goal of my life should be to please my Father. I will encounter waves of influence, and the ride will be rough. But keeping my eyes on the goal and my path straight will bring a greater reward than any fleeting thing this world has to offer.

Ephesians 4:14-15 "Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head —Christ."