Drifting Away
I must admit that I love the ocean. Salty air and the smell of sand bring back many of my fondest memories. Those memories involve riding a catamaran, playing, or swimming in the ocean. Nearly every year from grade school to high school my family went to the ocean. I loved walking out into the water chest deep so that I could swim and play.
Early on I discovered something that I should have listened to my mother's warnings about. My mother told me to always watch were I was in the ocean bacause I could drift out further or drift down the shoreline. I remember thinking my mom was crazy so I would just walk out and do my thing in the water. One particular time I looked up from playing and swimming and noticed that I was much much farther out and nothing in front of me was familiar. Paniced, I swam in and staggered around the beach trying to figure out were I was. Nothing looked familiar. Mom was not sitting there watching me. I must have drifted down over a mile and I did not realize it. My heart pounded in my chest. Intense fear gripped my little heart. I was surrounded by unfamiliar people and landmarks. I recognized nothing around me. Moments ago I was playing and having fun. Now everything was different. All I wanted was one familiar face. Something that would lead me one direction or the other.
I am thankful for a wonderful mother. She watched me carefully and saw me drifting. She slowly strolled down the beach watching me without being seen. At my point of greatest panic I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. I whipped around to see who touched me and there was my mother. I leaped into her arms pleading for forgiveness. She pulled me close and told me that everything was going to be alright. Then she took me by the hand and lead me all the way back. Back to familiar places and faces.
I can't honestly say that I never drifted in the ocean again. But I never drifted that far. I always sought to keep my eyes fixed on home. And when I did drift I would slowly trudge against the strong current so that my family and friends were in view.
Drift is very relevant to my life. So often I get caught up in the living and doing of life and ministry that I take my eyes off Christ. I drift. I allow myself and my apathy to pull me away. Today there are so many things pulling and distracting me. I must consciously fix my eyes on Christ and walk with Him purposefully or I will drift like I did in the ocean. May I not awaken and find myself miles away from Christ. But walking and living in His presence.
Early on I discovered something that I should have listened to my mother's warnings about. My mother told me to always watch were I was in the ocean bacause I could drift out further or drift down the shoreline. I remember thinking my mom was crazy so I would just walk out and do my thing in the water. One particular time I looked up from playing and swimming and noticed that I was much much farther out and nothing in front of me was familiar. Paniced, I swam in and staggered around the beach trying to figure out were I was. Nothing looked familiar. Mom was not sitting there watching me. I must have drifted down over a mile and I did not realize it. My heart pounded in my chest. Intense fear gripped my little heart. I was surrounded by unfamiliar people and landmarks. I recognized nothing around me. Moments ago I was playing and having fun. Now everything was different. All I wanted was one familiar face. Something that would lead me one direction or the other.
I am thankful for a wonderful mother. She watched me carefully and saw me drifting. She slowly strolled down the beach watching me without being seen. At my point of greatest panic I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. I whipped around to see who touched me and there was my mother. I leaped into her arms pleading for forgiveness. She pulled me close and told me that everything was going to be alright. Then she took me by the hand and lead me all the way back. Back to familiar places and faces.
I can't honestly say that I never drifted in the ocean again. But I never drifted that far. I always sought to keep my eyes fixed on home. And when I did drift I would slowly trudge against the strong current so that my family and friends were in view.
Drift is very relevant to my life. So often I get caught up in the living and doing of life and ministry that I take my eyes off Christ. I drift. I allow myself and my apathy to pull me away. Today there are so many things pulling and distracting me. I must consciously fix my eyes on Christ and walk with Him purposefully or I will drift like I did in the ocean. May I not awaken and find myself miles away from Christ. But walking and living in His presence.
Hebrews 2:1
So we must listen carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
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