sailing the ship (shape) of things

(I didn’t think I’d be talking about sailing today, but here we are…It must be for someone. xo)

I spend all summer with my kids. Like pretty much every moment of every day. (Before you feel either envy or pity for me, just wait a second.)
I do sneak away for runs or to work in the next room or to work on something. Like those endless dishes and laundry.
But otherwise, we’re “together” all summer. All summer.

And here’s what I’ve learned:
it’s still not “enough” I still don’t ever feel like it’s enough time. To get to the good stuff. To catch up on all the projects. To make the most brilliant life of which I dream. The one where no messes come to get in the way, where no tears sneak in and no complaints are aired out like the stinky sneakers nobody sees. Everybody has them but nobody wants to talk about them, let alone have them.
Even on our best days, the niggling restless parts of life sneak in. On the days of grandest adventure you feel tired and off key. On the days you feel your best, there are no plans or worse, they’re rained out. You can’t quit feeling like there’s a band playing and you’re marching just stifling off beat (or a lot.)
Well friend, I’ve got a gentle news flash, a reminder for you.
We’re all in this same wonky, sometimes beautiful boat. Life is a pretty mixed bag of outrageous and gorgeous and you’ll never get it all just quite right, no matter how hard you try. And even less with each persons life added in around you.
But we weren’t meant to do it alone, and sailing’s not for wussies.

Ooooff, that word. I can’t get away from it. I deleted it and went back. I tired to say dumps but it just didn’t works. This one seems to be the word that muscles itself in and declares itself the most appropriate. I myself find it rather offensive and don’t like to use it. But here I look up what does “wuss” actually mean: A person regarded as weak, ineffectual, or overly fearful.
A weak or ineffectual person.
A person who is physically weak and ineffectual.

Okay, so yeah, you win there clever little (annoying) word.

But wait, Isn’t sailing supposed to be glorious and eventually blissful? Relaxing? Cmon!
Well, Maybe.
But it’s also adventurous and a bit dangerous and a huge responsibility.
(Ugh.)

Sounds a bit like life, doesn’t it.
And you’re sailing a ship alright- not just of your “life” as much as your time, your attention, and your connection with all of these people in your boat. We like to focus on all the little details, some of which we can control, most of what we can’t and some which is really of no business of ours in the making (certainly not the weather.)

Yes, our job is not to control the weather or the winds at all, but to adjust our sail, as they say, right?
How do we do that?
On this beautiful ridiculous, sunset to sunrise, and back all over again, cruise?

We adjust our mind, our thoughts, our hearts.

Let the little stuff go. Stop trying to control the big stuff too. Let the Lord more speak to the your heart. Let Him speak Peace over you- and over the storms within you and about you.

It’s not just about your circumstances, He’s after your heart. Making it stronger, more fearless, unyielding to the conditions, effectual.

While the boat might be rocking and windswept one minute and smoothly sailing the next, Je wants you to be steadfast through all of it. Not a”wus” that is literally rocked from one side of the boat to the next, emotional, overreacting, panicking with every toss and turn.
It’s all a part of the journey, but the Lord does not want you to be one that’s ‘taken for a ride.’

Yet only you can control your thought, your heart, your tongue.
If the proverbs are true (and we know a bit about that) then the tongue is a rudder, telling a ship where to go.
What does your tongue have to say? Maybe it can’t seem to steer your whole life, but at the very least, it can tell your heart where to go and what to do.

Tell your heart of His Love.
His great great Love. Adjust your sails to the winds of His love and presence.
Don’t worry about the weather- Worship the God of all of the winds and the waves. Don’t keep your focus on and worry about every little detail, adjusting things to be “just right” in your boat.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Jesus
He’s in the boat with you.
This beautiful wild, wacky boat.

This life, in all its wonderful weirdness, it’s back and forth of a sailing adventure.

Most of all-
Let the Prince of peace have His say in your heart. Then let your heart keep speaking- of all of His goodness.

With all of the craziness around you- the no breaks and break neck speed and work and life and home. With the messes and the heartbreaks and the cleanup and the redirections.
He’s right there, and That’s very good.
Hold on to Him let Him fill your heart, and Keep going.