Boats that Float

       My awesome sister borrows a cottage up in northern Canada in the summer and is nice enough to invite family to go up and enjoy some time relaxing.  It’s beautiful there and I love to view the scenery whether driving, walking, or riding a bike.

       A couple years ago while we were driving I decided to take a detour off the regular route to see where another road led.  It ended at a very small rural community.  The dead end road ran parallel to a river, and as we were passing by I briefly noticed a pontoon boat among many other watercraft off in the middle of the river.  My mom said something to me about a boat and I turned to look but saw several boats to choose from.  “Which one?” I asked.  Uncertainty marked her words when she replied, “the one that… you know… floats.”

       Huh?  The boat that floats?  Don’t they all float- ‘cause really, the only good boat is one that floats (unless you’re into diving wrecks).  Anyway, we all laughed and I managed to eek out the words, “the boat that floats as opposed to what… boats that sink?”  Well, that made us just laugh more.  When she realized how it sounded, she laughed too, and after telling us we knew what she meant, she pointed out the pontoon boat I’d noticed earlier.

       Not all boats stay floating though.  Just look at Google Earth and there are many wrecks world wide, especially in the shallow (200ft max depth) Lake Erie of the Great Lakes which I live near.  Storms and underwater dangers cause most non-war related sinking.  It was in one of these situations that a few men found themselves years ago.  To look at the geography of the sea they were on, you’d think it could never get ‘that bad’*, but a friend of mine who toured the area explained the Sea of Galilee is in a canyon like area where sudden winds can pick up funneling through the hills and unexpectedly cause waves that would be considered high in the 26ft x 7ft-ish boat sizes of those days.

(Jesus and disciples crossed the sea by boat)

Now as they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A violent storm swept over the lake, and they were taking on water and were in great danger. So his disciples went to him, woke him up, and kept telling him, "Master! Master! We're going to die!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. They stopped, and there was calm.

Then he asked the disciples, "Where's your faith?" Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, "Who is this man? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!"  Lk. 8:22-25 ISV

       Seems to me we have sudden ‘wind storms’ come up in our lives far too often.  I had an emotional one yesterday that knocked me around some, but for once, I didn’t think my boat was sinking.  It sure gave me a lot to think about though.  And right now I’m wondering how Jesus could sleep through the sound of the heavy winds, the boat heaving, and the water splashing and pouring into it.  Perhaps He practiced Php. 4:6-9^ long before it was written and so God’s peace was on Him; we do know He stayed in communication with the Father.  Maybe it was the certainty that no one could take His life before the appointed time.  (Jh. 10:17,18)

       Any way you look at it, the disciples were in fear because they did not have faith in God that He would work in their situation.  Jesus did, stood up and rebuked the raging wind and waves.  While I haven’t ever done this myself, I do believe the same miracle can be done today if the Lord desires.  Question is, who would stand up to do it?  Would I?

Oh Lord, help me have that kind of faith!

*680ft below sea level (13 x 7 or 8miles x 150ft max)

Hills on the east reach 2000 ft height

^Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving. Then God's peace, which goes far beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your hearts and minds in union with the Messiah Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things. Likewise, keep practicing these things: what you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.  Php. 4:6-9 ISV