Drifting into Danger

In past blogs, I have given reasons that I love working at a missionary school in general, and Morrison specifically. 

I am sure that I have mentioned the students, the parents, the community, but here's a new one: devotions. 

Every Monday, the first thing each week, the entire staff from the elementary to the high school gather for a short time of worship and scripture inspired thoughts. Friday morning, the elementary and middle school staff again gathers.

Every year, each staff member is assigned a day to lead these devotions. For the past four years, I was assigned a Friday later on in the school year, either March or April, which gave me plenty of time to think, pray, and prepare.

Imagine my surprise back in July when I opened an email and found out I was sharing the third Friday of the year. Yikes! 

Fortunately for me, I had just had the honor of hearing a well delivered sermon at Camp Sychar. A friend advised, "You should share on that." (Thanks, Ann)

So I did.

"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" Hebrews 2:1

When my sister and I were little girls, our grandparents lived in Florida. Lucky for us, their house was only two miles from the beach. Every year, our family would load up the car, and make the long drive to the west coast of Florida. For two weeks, we would play in the sand, jump waves, and visit relatives.

One year, when I was about 9 or 10, my sister and I enjoyed the waves on top of an inflatable raft. A sand bar allowed us to safely paddle out and look back at our parents on the beach. Every so often, we would jump off, get wet, and then climb back on. It was a great way to enjoy the Gulf of Mexico, until the unexpected happen.

Unbeknown to us, the out going tide had carried our raft farther out than normal. Imagine my surprise when I jumped off, expecting to find solid sand beneath my feet, and found nothing but water instead. Gasping for breath, my head broke the surface of the water.

In my young irrational mind, I was convinced that my sister, being two years older, could most certainly touch the bottom. So I began jumping on her, expecting her to save me. But in reality, all I was doing was, not only drowning myself, but her also. (Sorry, Mindy)

Spiritually, I am sure you can see the implications.

Just as tides and waves cause us to drift, the stresses and busyness of life can pull us away from our Creator God. The end result, unfortunately, is waking up one morning finding ourselves outside the will of God. We need to daily keep our eyes on the one who loves us and redeemed us from our sins. 

Fortunately for my sister and I, we had an earthly father who was keeping an eye on us and came to our rescue. Even now,  I can remember the instant security I felt when my father's arm reached through my panic and pulled me to safety. 

I think no matter how far we had drifted out, Dad would have come. The same is true for God. We can never drift too far away. His love reaches to the ends of the earth!

On my first trip to Taiwan, I experienced another near drowning.

Fortunately, this time, I not only had knowledge (swimming lessons - thanks Mom!), but also the wisdom that comes from experience.

A group of us  had traveled to Kenting, the beach town on the southern tip.  Finding a secluded beach, we set up for a barbecue and a dip in the waves. On either side of the strip of sand, majestic rocks jutted up from the surf. The beauty of the waves crashing was quite breathtaking.

Shortly after entering the surf, I realized the danger. The undertow was strong. The waves kept pushing me towards those rocks. Treading water, I could feel myself being pulled farther and farther away from safety. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get back to the safety of the beach.

I knew I was in trouble.

Big trouble.

But, this is where wisdom comes into play. I had the head knowledge of swimming, but I needed to know how to apply my learning, my experience.

So unlike my childhood experience, I remained calm. Back then, I didn't know I was in trouble until it was almost too late. But this time, I knew I had drifted into dangerous territory.

Calmly, I used the knowledge of waves and undertows. Inch by inch, I was able to swim closer, using the power of the waves, keeping my eyes on the safety of the beach. It took a long time, but eventually, I was able to reach the soft sands. Exhausted, I dropped to the ground. None of my companions, fortunately, swam out into the area where the danger lurked. They never knew the trouble I had been in.

My point is, we need to stay aware of where we are spiritually. 

It is so easy to drift away.

Meditation on the Word of God.

Prayer.

Worship.

"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" Hebrews 2:1

By the way, I still love the ocean!