Distant
Shores
Listen, my sons,
to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
Proverbs 4:1
Marion had been sailing since he was
old enough to hold the tiller steady. In fact, when he graduated High
School, his parents helped him purchase a twenty-two foot single-mast
sailboat, instead of a car. He’d spent every spare moment sailing
the clipper or shining its brass. Each trip was an adventure, an
exploration into nautical navigation’s boundless classroom. There
was something spiritually liberating about sailing on the open sea,
and Marion discovered a deeper yearning for adventure that until now
had laid dormant.
His father had aroused his interest,
“Nothing like it, Son…you and the sea! She’ll treat you right
if you listen to her! But she’ll kill you quick if you ignore her
warnings! Remember…in order to reach the other shoreline, you have
to lose sight of the one you set sail from. Don’t be afraid; trust
your compass and your skill as a sailor and navigator. Never forget
that God is in control, and you’ll be just fine.”
Marion smiled nostalgically as the old
clipper rounded the outer marker. He had listened to his father’s
counsel, and today he was passing that wisdom on to his eight
year-old son. “Hold her steady, Nicholas. Just get a feel for the
pull on the tiller.”
†
Because Marion’s father had nurtured
his love and fascination for the sea, as well as his trust in Jesus
Christ to navigate the circumstances of his life, Marion had not only
become a proficient sailor, he had learned to completely rely on God.
As fathers, we can do no greater
service for our children than to nurture an adventurous spirit, and
an adventurous spirit in the Lord. God is not a Father Who wants us
to stay tied at anchor, bored with the tedium of life. He wants us to
set sail for distant shores, and to remember that in order to reach
the unseen goal we must lose sight of the comfortable shoreline we
are standing on.
Prayer
“Give me the strength
and courage to set sail for distant shorelines You want me to stand
on, Lord. And help me to not look back in anxious fear. In Jesus’
Name, amen.”
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