for the people who lived around it. And while the sailors in Paul's time were accomplished, the sea is an unforgiving place, where skill and technology and resourcefulness are matched against the relentless forces of nature -- wind, tide, and geography. If you've ever been sailing in a high wind, you might recognize that place at the edge of disaster, where you understand that life is fragile.
I did sail for a few years in my 20s, and today's reading, even with its clear message that God had Paul in His hands, is all about the adventure that takes place. Luke is once again with Paul, and the first person narrative draws me in: "we would sail to Italy." I remember the moments when I had to make smart, quick decisions about what to do next to keep from breaking a mast. I remember holding on to a rope when I fell overboard in the San Francisco Bay. And I remember all the planning and thought about how to handle different situations that might come up, so that if and when they did, I'd be ready. And that edge...
Our lives are fragile. While God may allow us to experience adventure, heartache, tragedy, the consequences of our own mistakes, and eventually death, we need to remember that we are held in His hand. Then we can have joy in the midst of sorrow and pain. We can be prepared for that storm that lasts a long time, that storm we could have avoided had we made a different decision, that storm that leaves us shipwrecked in a remote place. And in the most painful moments, when what I've just written sounds like empty platitudes, if we can stay focused on Him, on our understanding that someday we will see things like God does, we can have that assurance Paul has, in the midst of the storm. He wrote to the Corinthians:
"Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now." (1 Cor. 13:12 NLT)
Ready to set sail again today?
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