Up a Creek

     I’ve always enjoyed canoeing. Over the span of my life I have logged countless
hours and countless miles exploring lakes, rivers, and creeks. One thing I have learned.
You cannot canoe without a paddle. I know Mr. Obvious it’s not earth shattering
information but it’s a simple important truth. To canoe a lake without a paddle is to be at
the mercy of the wind. To canoe a stream without a paddle is to be at the mercy of the
current and won’t end well. There has to be a means to propel and steer the canoe to
get where you want to go. This is true of any water craft. Propulsion and a rudder are
critical to its proper function.

These simple truths have always made Noah’s adventure fascinating to me. We
talk about him spending 120 years to build a boat when boats and rain didn’t exist. The
people probably thought he was nuts. Truthfully I think he was nuts for not including
rudder or sail. He was about to command a ship and be entrusted with the future of
civilization. Without rudder or sail he would be at the mercy of the waves. However in
this instance Noah understood he was not the navigator. The seas which he faced and
the boat he built were in the command of God. He did not venture alone.

Sometimes we feel we have to have everything we need to navigate life and
circumstances. We have to have a vessel, a paddle, and a plan to get to where we are
going. Remove any one of these things fear and uncertainty will rule the moment. There
are many times in my life where I, we as a family, have stepped out into the unknown.
We have set sail into waters without a paddle. Whether a ministry opportunity or a life
struggle. It is then I am reminded of Noah. Life is never met without a navigator because
my Lord commands the vessel.

Be encouraged when facing the waters of life. Whatever you are experiencing
you are not navigating alone.

Pastor Rob