Jesus, take the wheel...

"you have kept My command to persevere"

Revelation 3:10

See this picture?  This is from a couple of years ago.  I went boating with a group of friends on a nearby lake. 

There are several ladies there, and I know it's a little hard to see, but it's important that you know that I am one of the ones who is standing.

I'll explain that in a minute.

This is not a boat that belongs to anyone on the boat.  It's a rental boat, property of the city, or the Lake Association, or something.   So no one has to have a license or any training whatsoever to drive it, or pilot it, or whatever you do to a boat...

It's not a fast-moving boat.  It's no big deal to stand while the boat is in motion, although I'm sure there's still a small amount of risk.  It is a moving vehicle, after all.  For the most part we're sitting while we're moving, unless someone's getting up to get something to nibble on, or passing something to nibble on, or getting a napkin because they've dribbled what they've nibbled on.

The only person who can't stand, is the one who is piloting it.  Or driving it.  Or whatever you do to a boat...  You have to be in a seated position to speed the boat up, or slow it down; to change from forward to reverse, or back again; and to steer.

So what you can garner from the fact that I am standing, is that I am not sitting. 

I am not driving. 

Or piloting. 

Or whatever you do to a boat...

I wasn't driving the boat because no one would let me.  Not that I was trying all that hard; I don't care who drives.  But I had offered to take a turn the previous year, and, um, had a little trouble docking the boat.  No damage; just a little bumping.  But a year later, they were still teasing me about it...

You see, it's very tricky to steer a boat.  You have to turn the wheel ever so slightly, and then wait for the boat to respond.  It's not really like driving a car.  It's easy to turn the wheel too hard if you don't realize you have to wait for the boat to respond.

Believe me, I know.

Or you might turn the wheel slightly, and nothing happens, so you panic and turn it harder, and then you feel it starting to turn, and you realize it's turning too much, cuz you turned it too hard, so then you turn the opposite way, and fall into the same trap. 

Believe me, I know.

I thought of all this silliness the other day when I was talking with a friend about making decisions.  Sometimes we pray about things to do or not do, and we read the Bible, and we get advice from friends who read the Bible ~ and we're still not sure what to do.  So then we just make the best decision we can. 

But then sometimes life, or people, or opportunities don't happen, or react, or turn out the way we thought they would. 

So then we panic and go the other way.

And I think the lesson here is: give it a chance to work.  Sometimes this applies to our prayer life.  God does not work at our pace, and sometimes we pray, and when we don't feel an answer is coming fast enough, we go the other way, and decide to do something about it ourselves. 

And sometimes it applies to a decision we've made.  So pray, and read Scripture, and ask God for wisdom, which He promises to give in abundance.  Then make the best decision you can, and have faith in Him.  Even if you've made a mistake in your decision, He won't abandon you.  He will guide you back to His will, and He will use all things for good.

He is a God of order, and detail.  And He has a plan for us.  Sometimes that's working His will in our lives, and sometimes it's working with our free will.  But we need to trust Him to see us through when we think we're going the wrong way. 

~ "Indeed we count them blessed who endure.

You have heard of the perseverance of Job

and seen the end intended by the Lord - 

that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" ~

James 5:11