Is God Sleeping or Wide Awake on Your Boat?

This may or may not be my last post related to fishing. The inspiration just keeps coming! It was Wednesday, May 29th, and we heard it was supposed to rain all day, starting at 7 am. Staci, fisher-woman extraordinaire, announced the night before, "If we’re down at the river by 6 am (sun-up), we’ll get in at least an hour of fishing before it starts. And, so, it was. We showed up at 6 am and at 7 am, no rain; 8 am to 2 pm – still no rain. It was an entire morning of hauling in loads of fish and, to boot, it was a morning of helping a young boy and his mom learn how to fish for trout. For lunch, we made a campfire and roasted hot dogs on dry tree limbs and logs. Thank you, God, for the “little things” – keeping the rain away for us to enjoy this morning. We were satisfied with our full morning and some of the afternoon. Go ahead, God, let it rain!

THEN, torrential rain came which made for great afternoon naps! All of us! By the way, we didn’t have access to wifi at our cabin so we weren’t aware of anything other than a good old downpour and thunder that makes for great snoozing! We all woke up when our electricity went out at 5 pm. Fortunately, we took plenty of flashlights and candles. Our plans for baking our lasagna were spoiled so we had sandwiches, guacamole, salsa, and chips. .Yummy -- no complaints! And, while the thunder rolled, lightning flashed, winds howled, and rain pounded on the roof, we, in our serendipity world….played cards – expecting any minute for the electricity to be restored.

The rain stopped. Larry and Staci and the kids headed out to see when our electricity would be restored because, by now, we started thinking about our refrigerator getting warm and the haul of food we had in there could be in jeopardy. The Park Ranger declared “There’s no electricity between here and Texas – we were just hit by a tornado! There is damage all around the park – trees down, RV’s damaged." WHAT??? And we weren’t warned?? Supposedly, the Park Rangers had been on their air horns announcing imminent danger – but again, in our little calm and peaceful “boat” – we were completely secure knowing Jesus was on board. It never entered our minds that there had been a potential danger.

On the other hand, what good would it have been to have known and been worried and concerned? We didn’t know and we played games, slept, ate and made it through the storm just fine. When we implicitly place our trust in He Who is on board our "life" boat – we can be at peace in any storm -- in the natural, and in our spirits.

I sincerely believe that when we place our faith in our Father, stay closely knit to Him through all phases of life, He will keep us calm in the storms when we live by Psalm 91:1 (911 - our emergency number) "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Remember Jesus, His disciples and their "boat" story in Mark 4:38-40? "But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

God is looking out for His kids -- let's let Him!

I've Arrived!

I had such a sweet, tender encounter with Jesus when I was eight-years-old at a Christian youth camp. I remember it so well. We were singing “Kumbaya” and “I have decided to follow Jesus” around the campfire. The camp director invited those of us to raise our hand if we wanted a personal relationship with Jesus. I did. I believed. I received. I became a follower of Christ and our love story will continue through all eternity.

My sweet and tender story pales in comparison to the Apostle Paul’s (formerly called Saul) conversion story and experience. Paul had been persecuting Christians. A light from heaven blinded him and he heard the voice of Jesus saying "Saul, why do you persecute me?" We know the rest of the story where he came to believe in Jesus and became the notorious apostle who wrote nearly one-third of the New Testament.

So what did my young 8-year-old experience and St. Paul’s Damascus Road have in common? Like that song, we decided to follow Jesus. We could almost hear the choirs of angels singing in unison “You have arrived!” Now our lives were changed for so much good. We’re God’s, so NO problems. We’re born again, so LIFE will be a bed of roses. We know the truth, so NO more mistakes. God’s got our backs, so NO longer will people annoy us. Easy, peasy Christianity! Let's do this!

And the well-seasoned soldiers of faith say “Oh my dear, you have such a great imagination!" It is much more like being on an elite training team, like learning to be a Navy Seal (not that I really know what that is like – except for the movies where they nearly die from the training). There are grueling tests and drills. There’s an arch-enemy who wants, more than anything, to cause us to cave under the mere weight of it all. There are loads of bone-tired days and wrenching hard work. There is sweat, grit, and perseverance. It almost seems like we picked the wrong team to be on!

Oh, but there are so many reasons to say “WHY NOT?” There is heart. There is passion. There is dedication. There is vision. There is comfort. There is joy. There is peace. There is unexplainable love. And, I wouldn’t have it any other way, because, no matter what – with Jesus, there is always hope. Jesus delivers BIG TIME. Not just for eternity either. I confess there are times I need a deliverer right this minute! Jesus holds me. He relieves the pressure. Jesus is so…good. He surpasses easy. He is that good. And, so, our battle is good.

It makes us warriors. As crazy as it seems, our battles are good for us. They are conqueror-makers. It’s hardly about arriving, but all about journeying to touch the hem of His garment, pouring a bottle of perfume on His feet, reaching out to touch the nail scars in His hands. It’s grabbing hold of His hand and never letting go. It is walking in His footprints and sometimes letting Him carry us when we’re worn and tired. We become the most radiant and dedicated warriors ever. Deep in our hearts, we know, what He’s given us, is truly – the very best. When we understand that, we really have ARRIVED!

GONE Fishing!

Another gift Payton received for his birthday was "going fishing". He got to bring a friend with him this time. Before, it was Papa and I taking him and Lexi fishing to our favorite fishing spot, Marvel Camp in Gore, OK. And that's where we came yesterday. Larry and the boys are in one of these great cabins on the Illinois River and Staci, Lexi and I are in the cabin next door.

There are no adequate words to describe what this place means to me. My husband, Ron and I, loved bringing the two older grandkids here each summer. They called it the "Red Neck Yacht Club". They made up that term the first time they saw folks with their lawn chairs, right in the middle of the river....fishing! What hilarious and fun adventures we had -- sitting by the campfire, kayaking, and FISHING. And then, it was Payton and Lexi's turn. The memories made here have lasted a long time, but the sweetest memories are those we want to re-live. That's what we're doing this weekend.

We have always been a family that loves to fish -- each and every one of us -- some more -- some less. We come from a long line of fishermen. My sweet husband led the way for me when we were first married. We would drive from Dallas to Lake Lavon when we'd get off work or go on the weekends to fish. We'd put on our hip waders and walk in below the dam and fish for bass. I would be lined up right beside all the guys. Someone would get a strike and yell "FISH ON!", and the rest of us would reel in our lines so as not to get tangled up in his line with the fish coming in! That started my love of fishing. And, that love has been passed down now to our children and grandchildren. Fortunately, my two youngest boys live right on a creek where they're hauling fish in, almost daily.

Payton, our 3rd-born grandson, because they lived in the same city as us, had more time to spend with Papa and his love of fishing. That was another reason for the tight bond he and Papa had.

There’s something to be said for getting away from it all to get back to God’s creation and “chill”. Chillin’ is what we’re doing. We laugh a lot, tell stories a lot, patiently put our bait on the hook, and cast – over and over again. It’s a routine that brings so many rewards: family togetherness, celebrating life, making memories that will last a lifetime, therapeutic peace and quiet, friendly competition (Who can get the biggest one?) AND the ultimate reward….catching fish for a big old fish fry! Whoo hoo!

What do you do that takes you to a place of peace, quiet, and REWARDS?