Without going as far as divulging my exact location, I would like to say that during this break I am in an area that is somewhat unfamiliar to me.
As many of you know, I take most of my study breaks out west where I’m familiar with the area, the climate and much of the beauty of the “big sky” that that part of the country affords.
This year, for reasons of circumstance, I decided to stay within driving distance of Pittsburgh and find myself in a small town that’s literally surrounded by water with a thriving tourist industry and lots of boats going in and out of various harbors, all within my little community.
I confess that I know very little about sailing and not a lot about boating in general. (When I was a teenager I did learn to water ski and my family did have a couple of small boats that afforded me the opportunity to get out on the water now and then!)
What has blessed me over the last days has been a reminder of the obvious: a sailboat is literally dependant upon the wind in order to make progress in reaching it’s objective. (Of course, every sailboat that I’ve seen has some sort of alternate motor that provides power when the wind just isn’t cooperating.)
Our walk with the Lord is much like that, isn’t it? When the wind of the Spirit is blowing in our lives and we have our “sails up” we’re carried along by this mysterious power that is literally the Spirit of Jesus carrying us along.
If we don’t know the direction of the wind or don’t know how to catch it, then we find ourselves stagnant and not moving. I’ve had some times of reflection and seen where I’ve allowed that to happen in my life and one of the first “words” from the Lord for me has been to “spend time each morning checking the winds of the Spirit as revealed in God’s word in undisturbed time with Him.”
This is such a basic discipline that I’m almost embarrassed to put it in the blog but none-the-less, it’s something that we easily presume and often take for granted, especially if we are longer term disciples.
God’s word, a disciplined plan of reading, a journal and perhaps a favorite devotional (which serves as my on board “motor”) are essential to catch the wind of the Spirit on a daily basis and in so doing, put ourselves in position of faith and expectation that God will indeed carry us (me) to His desired destination.
Learning as I go,
Dr. Jay
P.S. Just another word of encouragement to follow brief updates on twitter as I post them there on a more frequent basis. Twitter.com/drjay_
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
The first few paragraphs of this blog feel like a game of "Where's Waldo!" Let’s all try and guess where Pastor Jay is? :)
For the past 7 years with a 50 – 60 minute commute, I had developed a good quiet time in my car each morning. Praying, listening to worship, and listening to the Bible on CD had worked real well for me. Now that I have a 30 second commute I have had to carve out a new pattern and routine. It took a few weeks but I have got back into a good groove and completely agree with you Jay. I love my morning coffee, I never skip a cup or two each day…devotional time is just as crucial!
So “where is Jay,” a water town (Sand Castle), within driving distance (45 minutes), sail boats (Gateway Clipper Fleet), tourist attractions (Waterfront) …I guess Jay is in Munhall…
Post a Comment