LifeBoat

Not quite sure how three years of life have passed without posting anything, but here I am again! I wasn’t lost at sea and certainly didn’t drown. Perhaps the best description is the boat was docked for awhile and there was much to accomplish before casting off for more adventures. I did need quite a bit of rest and restoration which took more than a year. Many changes were happening in various areas of life’s journey but, finally, my sea legs seem steady again.

So, over most of last year and now into this new year, my boat is moving through the waters again. It was a little choppy for some of the last couple years, with fast paced activities and details to navigate, but God was directing all concerned and much was accomplished with good outcomes.

So, with fresh energy to row and new goals ahead, the lifeboat is still afloat. Jesus is at the helm, as always. I can take some moments to catch up here while heading toward the horizon of new adventures.

I spent some time this evening reviewing the posts which were shared since I began jotting down my thoughts. It was an interesting read. Some things brought easy memories of the issue or experience that was attached to the writing. Some posts needed a little memory jog. Each post seemed to stand on its own merit while also being tied together with where my boat was sailing at the time. The last post is dated in January of 2021, a short time after my dad’s home-going, so there is much to share from that year until now. I’ll talk with you again soon. In the meantime, keep heading toward the lighthouse.

The old year has passed and we are well into a new year. It is doubtful that too many of us were sad to say goodbye to the year that was 2020. There were huge waves each day which rocked our boat and made us seasick. There seemed to be few calm days to allow us to regain our standing, and there were many changes to life. Our lifeboat seemed to have holes which soon would cause total collapse. We floated through months of uncertainty, rowed hard through days of distress, and had no choice but to drop anchor in those choppy waters so that we could stabilize our vessel. Now, almost a month into this new year, it is still difficult to know what course is ahead but we must continue to navigate forward while trusting our Captain.

The lessons learned during such a wild ride are important. Families discovered interesting ways to cope as a unit. Neighbors got more acquainted with each other and shared generously with others. Grief hit too many of us but the support systems were more openly available as we all realized our need to just love others the way we should anyway. There is no ‘small’ outreach that is less significant than seemingly ‘large’ efforts. Prayer teams, personal concern for others, unique ways of showing neighborhood unity, and many other examples have given the encouragement needed each day. God has been glorified in countless ways as we remembered or realized more fully that HE IS!

He Is still on His throne. He Is still guiding us and providing every need. He Is still in control of our lifeboat. He Is still moving us closer to shore. He Is still the One Triune God. He Is still completing His promises. HE IS, Was, and IS to Come! Sail on, friends, securely tied to His mast.

Thanksgiving has recently passed and harvest season has concluded. This year found many of us searching for reasons to be thankful. Each week and each month have seemed to add stress upon stress. Few of us have escaped the occasional lapse into negative emotions to some degree. Some have been successful at holding on to nuggets of hope each day. Perhaps all of us find ourselves moving between emotions on a daily basis. It is exhausting, is it not?

There is hope. There is peace. There is a reason for thankfulness. There is One Who is True and Just and Worthy of Praise. His Name is Jesus. He is Lord. He is our Hope and Joy. His blessings fill our empty vessel to overflowing. He nourishes our spirit, our soul, our mind, our body.

A cornucopia is a typical symbol associated with the autumn months since it’s history is related to nourishment and it was used to gather the harvest.

The question for us concerns whether we are filling our ‘cornucopia’, our vessel, with blessings from the Lord or with stony burdens. Blessings overflow if we keep looking for them. Keep gathering the harvest of blessings each day.

Can we be certain of anything? That is a good question, especially this year. 2020 seemed to begin as most new years do, with hopeful planning for new adventures as family or at work or in retirement or travel or whatever. Plans came to abrupt and uncertain stops as each month brought unusual stress with unusual changes to most of life as we ‘know’ it. Where can we find assurance?

Surety relates to the idea of being reliable, accepting responsibility, a guarantee, a pledge or promise, being sure of something or someone, collateral. In this world, that seems to be an oxymoron and nearly impossible.

In our spiritual life, God’s promises are sincere and true and unbreakable. He alone is our assurance. He alone is reliable. He alone has already provided the collateral needed for our security. Even with moment by moment changes in any day, He is unchangeable. When the our boat is rocked, He steadies us. If our ‘plans’ must stop or be adjusted, He guarantees a better outcome with His plan.

He alone is provides surety in our life. Stand firm. Trust in Him Alone.

This post was started early in the summer but it seems that I didn’t actually post it. So, I look at it as part of the crazy year of struggling against the waves. It has not been ‘normal’ this year in any part of life. Indeed, there have been major adjustments each day for months. Perhaps some good will be seen eventually but, for now, lives have been disrupted and the uncertainty or constant change has worn most of us down. Discord is rampant. Plans are cancelled. Disappointment runs deep. Emotions vary from volatile to depressed. Fear floats along with each venture into what should be ‘normal’ daily activities. Limitations remain even as we begin to get back to ‘normal’.

All of this because of a microscopic particle called a virus. What havoc it has caused the world. It is not the first pandemic nor will it probably be the last. However, it has resulted in what is being promoted as our ‘new’ normal. That phrase is not comforting at all and it is definitely not comfortable. So many uncertainties continue to plague all of us. Many good things have also been happening during the months that our normal schedules were ended. Families have spent valuable time rediscovering how to focus on just one day at a time. Neighbors have learned more about each other. The needs of others have become more important again and meeting those needs is an immediate response. Work and school situations might not ever be the same.

Faith journeys have also seen major adjustments. The church buildings have been silent but the Church has found vital ways to do ministry. Fellowship of those who believe in Christ is resuming with a new energy after being separated for months. We have missed important celebrations but did not cease to celebrate in new and interesting ways. Ministry was accomplished in various ways with a new vision for outreach. God has been with us through it all and continues to hold the wheel of this ship of life. Jesus is still calming the storm which attempts to drown us. The Holy Spirit fills the sails of the Life Boat which is still sea worthy and we will make it safely to shore soon.

We have certainly ‘labored’ in unusual ways in 2020! But we have made it thus far and we made it together. Many of us have managed to ride the wave of new learning curves each day as life became uncertain, confusing, challenging, and brought stressful events across our country. This boat of life seems a bit more battered from the storms but it is still afloat!

The currents, which apparently kept me from writing some thoughts down for the past few months, seem to be a bit calmer for now, at least personally. This is my time to adjust course again, but it is good to just float for a short time, too.

A new season begins as we give thanks for coming this far in this unusual year. Whatever the remaining months bring, we can be assured that the Captain of Life’s Boat is still at the helm and will provide safe passage when we keep our eyes on Him.

  There is something inherently happy about spring flowers, especially tulips. The bulbs wait in the cold ground each winter, seemingly forgotten, until the earth begins to warm enough to help them push free again. The burst of color seems to happen so quickly, a bit of a pandemic of fresh life actually. Too soon, the lovely petals float away on the breeze and scatter across the yard. For a few days there was a new view and the heart is cheered by the beauty. Life moves along into longer summer days which bring more color and life.

This year has been unique in its darkness due to an unseen enemy of illness, a pandemic. It has brought the world a season of anxious waiting as if trying to keep our spirits buried in darkness. Light is shining a bit finally while spring continues to push color out into the warmth again. Celebrations of Passover and Easter could not be closed down by the enemy. The world found various new ways to celebrate new life and victory over death. A deep determination to enjoy simple pleasures and helping others seems to be breaking forth in families and communities. We will all remember these difficult days in ways which we don’t realize yet. Even as we remember the blessings attached to that first Resurrection Day each year, we also look forward to renewing our everyday life after this pandemic calms itself.

Stay well and keep looking up! Spring is here, the flowers are bursting with life, and our Lord will soon return as He promised!

This is the year of social distancing, no social interaction at all, no schools open, no playground equipment being used, no libraries or museums open, churches offering online messages only, businesses mostly closed unless vital to sustain life, and the world is basically on hold. Medical care is the priority but supplies are stretched and staff is exhausted. A pandemic has isolated everyone across the earth. Huggers can’t hug, a handshake might cause illness or death.

Full protective gear for every person seems to be the only way to protect us. That sounds extreme but what else can be done? Even when the virus calms itself down, will there be anything ‘normal’ about how we get on with our lives? Will we ever feel like we are free to give a welcoming or encouraging hug?

Some positive things are happening. People are becoming fanatical about clean hands and disinfecting hard surfaces. Sneeze or cough into your elbow and always wash your hands – 20 seconds while singing the song of your choice! Why does it take something this serious to get people to take it all seriously, I wonder? The opposite is happening also – wipes and disinfectant and bleach are only a few of the daily staples being hoarded. Stores can’t keep supplies on the shelves. Fear is easier to give into than common sense.

Faith is deepening, though! Congregations cannot gather but that has only caused the people to learn how to use live-streaming or upload videos to worship together. Groups are quickly finding ways to feed children and neighbors are checking up on each other. People are finding ways to support local business and the small business owners are finding ways to offer services differently. God’s love is being shared in deed and not just in word. The Body of Christ is learning to bravely break out of our stagnant attitude and out of our comfort zones. This is all good! There is a resurgence of civility, there is a silence which was overdue, there is a sense of rest from the busy pace of our days.

It is not easy nor is it wanted, but the lack of normalcy might help all of us to return to ‘normal’ with a better attitude and a determination to do better than before – and to hug each other with sincere gratitude that we are in this boat of life together.

 

 

 

 

 

  Yes, I am posting about times we are a’seeing! No caption is necessary to explain this shopping cart nor the items in it. The items are not on store shelves anywhere because thousands of people in every location imaginable have been stockpiling certain basic items. Why? Well, this is the season of a strain of  virus which has caused a pandemic, and that is straining everybody’s nerves. Immune-compromised people and the elder generation throughout the world are currently at higher risk and the world is taking drastic measures to contain those nasty little germs. But it seems to be a battle of patience over panic at this time.

Panic serves little purpose except to add fear and stress to stressful situations. Patience serves to strengthen faith and kindness. Let’s choose faith! The Fruit of the Spirit of God, given to those who believe in Him, are listed in the book of Galatians (5:22 & 23). We have His Holy Spirit within us, thus His attributes are available to use in any situation.  Love, Joy, Peace; Patience, Kindness, Goodness; Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.  I like to think of the nine parts as three sets of three, and each set builds and assists the others. Love, of course, starts the process! Love brings inner joy and peace. Those three, working together, helps us to learn patience, which assists us to personally show kindness and goodness. Those two sets allow us to stay faithful to the mission of sharing God’s Love by serving others with gentleness and self-control.

Panic and fear should have no place to live!

Choose Love! Choose Faith! Choose Peace!

 

February, the shortest month of each year, is typically the month which highlights love and chocolate and friendship. It is also the month which gets us halfway through the winter season and heading toward another spring. In Pennsylvania, we have tagged that particular day as groundhog day, and there is quite a big deal made of it! We know that there will be more sunlight each day for the second half of winter while creation begins to stir from the cold dormant earth.

Valentine Day, each February, has become a blessing for any business which can market heart shaped sweets and mass produced sentiments on cards. The focus on love includes a wide variety of meanings and includes being aware of the health of our physical heart.  By the end of the month, Christians begin a forty day season, known as Lent, to focus on our spiritual heart health and the upcoming celebration of Resurrection Sunday and all the events which preceded Christ’s death on the Cross. Love seems to rise to the surface throughout the month, even if it is temporary or forced back into consciousness.

Every four years, February adds one extra day so that the total length of ‘normal’ years, and all the seasonal events, do not get completely off-kilter and become unmanageable. That special year is named Leap Year and brings it own dynamics. Anyone born on a leap year day certainly must love the specialness of an actual day to celebrate while teasing, and being teased, about their age.

All of this gets wrapped up in the word ‘leap’. The year leaps ahead; birth dates leap a  person four years ahead instead of just one; seasons continue to leap from one set of circumstances to the next. Within our faith journey, I can see relevant comparisons in all of these events packed into such a short time frame as the month of February. Love takes work and determination but brings great joy and hope. Seasons move at a certain pace for the most part but occasionally bring something extra or need a small adjustment. Our physical heart will keep working at its best when we do not neglect healthy choices.

Our spiritual heart needs so much more! Too often we need to leap into unexpected seasons without much warning, perhaps illness or grief or sudden life events. Are we ready to leap into those uncharted waters? Are we willing to take that leap into whatever new experience is set before us? Do we leap with faith that God will be there to catch us in His loving arms? Will we leap ahead in faith that He has prepared the way and will walk with us when we land where He wants us in that new season? Look around, be aware of what is happening, then turn toward the Son and take that leap in peace!