Gazing over the horizon to the places where the sky seems to touch the billowing ocean blue, the expanse of the ocean reminds me how much is beyond what our eyes behold.
Above and beyond the here and now, there is much ahead.
We live in a time where the desire to know what is next and manufacture the next move overshadows organically allowing the ebb and flow of God’s plan. Allowing our lives to naturally flow seems like complacency to our instantaneous pursuit to know what is beyond the next step. Patience hemmed together with peace is a lost virtue.
We want to know how this story for the book of our lives unfolds, without reading the middle chapters.
Reflecting over my life, these middle chapters have held memories of pleasant paths and mountaintop moments of indescribable joy. There have been wondrous chapters that I have reread many times in my mind’s eye with experiences of storybook moments and deep-seated happiness.
Yet, there have been times of great sorrow and valleys through seasons of broken dreams. The pages of those tear-stained chapters as turned page by page became memories fortified into soul-searing strength forged in fire through seasons of God’s faithfulness.
Gazing over the majesty of the mighty sea, I am reminded of a brilliantly beautiful poem by Winfred Ernest Garrison to which inspired the Old Breton Fisherman’s Prayer. I can almost hear in the drifting winds across the shoreline, this verse…
“Oh God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small. Save as thy goodness open paths for me through the consuming vastness of the sea.”
Collectively the memories and moments of the chapters of our lives prepare us for the open sea. All chapters are necessary to weave our lives into a sail that is seaworthy to display God’s faithfulness as we venture out into the vastness of the mighty sea.
Chapters with sorrow bring us alongside humanity to foster deep empathy to help our fellow man. As we turn the pages to chapters of success and sweet serendipity, we are beautifully tempered in humility with a desire to use our blessings to bring joy and satisfaction found in Christ to those around us.
Our boat may seem so small and our lives as an unlikely vessel of hope, but we know the keeper of the mighty winds and majestic sea. We know the One who pens each chapter of the story of our lives and those yet to be.
Let us set sail with imminent faith, steadfast hope, and grace-giving love into the horizon on the open sea of possibilities. The voyage ahead and chapters soon-to-be, may just be your most beautiful adventure yet. ~
By: Jenny Cox
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