My Dearest Sister,
I am writing to you at a time when my daily schedule is so full that one small blip and it throws the whole thing off kilter. At this same time in my life I keep hearing about the necessity to be “flexible”. Well, I never was one that was much good at doing two things at once. But I can tell you that there was a time when if I had a schedule in my hand…watch out, things were going to get done that seemed impossible.
It used to be so easy- sailing through the day with a schedule in front of me, when lo and behold someone or something would come along (usually a small child with a problem to solve, or homework to do, or a game to get to) and blow me off course from that schedule. I didn’t seem to mind if the day required lowering my sail and tacking in order to catch a breeze and take off on a different course. Because some times that new direction, that burst of wind would grant me the adventure of something exciting, like flying a hull! Those were the days!
At my age I’m looking for that steady wind which will carry me from the moment my toes touch the floor next to my bed until my head reunites with my pillow at the end of the day. I’m not sure if you can tell yet, I’m a bit miffed! I have been praying for relief from this sense of constant “readjusting” for weeks- not to mention the disappointment that comes when I realize that all the tacking, all the rearranging of my sails, is getting me absolutely nowhere with regards to my goal for the day.
So while I sat one day, sweating out one of those stalls in my sails (literally sweating by the way, which also comes at this age) something dawned on me. That something was: a good sailor knows when to tack, when to lower and when to raise the sails. How does a good sailor know? As I contemplated this it hit me! Kinda like the boom will if you’re not careful! A good sailor WAITS! WHAT?? As this thought came to me I said, “No! There is no time for waiting in this sailor’s log. How does someone wait when the pressure is on to turn that boat around, catch that next breeze and blow out of here?” A good sailor will practice self control.
“Wait on the LORD and be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the LORD!” Ps. 27:14
I must confess, and admit that after years of being a redeemed child of God embraced by His amazing grace, I know that there is more power, more clarity and wisdom in waiting on the LORD for one split second than there is in hundreds or thousands of minutes rushing ahead or plowing through with my agenda, simply because I must.
Colleen has reminded me that to practice self control is to actually take self right out of the picture. To be fruitful with self control means letting go of the self and being controlled by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is far wiser and more powerful than I could ever pretend to be.
I am so grateful to God for graciously gifting me with His Spirit. In all of my flailing about with my thoughts I am assured of the life preserver which He has already given me. The more I commune with Him, the deeper I go with Him in my heart the full-er my sails are, the more constant the breeze that fills those sails, and the dearer the waiting becomes to await a new course, even if it wasn’t in my plan of the day. I must remember to record in my sailors log that when I am filled with the Spirit, I am controlled by the Spirit.
This sailor is going to sail into and through this day with my heart set on practicing Spirit control, waiting for Him to direct my course when it needs readjusting. I hope dear sister that you too will be encouraged to humbly and gratefully use what God has already supplied to sail away into and through your day!
Because of His Grace,
Susan