You Can't Cross the Ocean if You Don't Leave the Shore

Yesterday, I posted our "dead-in-the-water" ship experience. When we boarded that ship, our thoughts were for making yet another great memory, enjoy some needed rest and adventure. Our minds never gave way to "What if we meet with disaster?" We "trusted" that the Captain and his crew would steer us to the pre-planned ports and journey they advertised, and in several days, at the end of our trip, we'd go back home.

But, what about Christopher Columbus -- when he set sail -- not knowing what the future held for him and his crew? Chris was a dreamer and visionary who could see beyond the status quo. When brilliant minds were teaching that the earth was flat, good ole' Chris stretched his faith by leaving his comfort zone (the shore), and ventured out into the unknown. And, just think about it, he didn't have the leading edge technology that reports obstacles, weather, and other vessels, that mariners have today. And, athough he faced every adversity imaginable, he didn't give up until his dream was reality. Indeed, his faith and determination paid off. And Chris certainly gave us some valuable lessons to learn from:

1) We shouldn't play it safe by living in our comfort zone. There's some pretty exciting adventures out there -- so why live with regret?
2) We should ignore critics and seek God for wisdom to claim new territories.
3) We owe it to ourselves to set sail and discover God's will for our lives.
4) We must defeat our fears to be able to find the "treasures" that God has for us to discover.

Isn't it time for us to leave the shore.....and take on a great new adventure that just might be the discovery of a great new relationship, the dream job or opportunity we've been looking for, or the invention we believe could bring in a "boatload"??