The Master
I’m not sure I want to do this; in fact I know I don’t. It’s pretty cool outside (I get cold easily)…and I’m always concerned about falling out of tiny boats…and I don’t like sitting for long periods (my back aches)…and what will I do for a bathroom when we’re away from civilization for hours?
But that’s not the entire story. It wasn’t just about achy bones, bumpy rides, slimy worms, and stinky fish. It also was about surrendering control and allowing myself to follow the lead of a master fisherman.
Fishing with my cousin – who truly is a master at his craft – was truly an incredible experience. He knew exactly what he was doing, so I could trust him. He had been driving boats for over 50 years, so he knew how to make his boat do what it needed to do. He knew the right time to fish, and the right lake to fish, and right place on the lake to fish. He had all the right gear and placed us in just the right spots in the boat for optimum weight distribution and balance. As we successfully caught fish, he was ready to string them. He had appropriate snacks to hand out and fight off our hunger pangs.
In short, this strange and unusual experience in my life went well. It went well because my cousin – a master fisherman – knew what he was doing and was properly prepared. Because of his expertise, we shared a fun day together on a remote, peaceful lake…and then had a delicious dinner of fresh fish.
How different the trip would have been if I had been in charge. I would have been out of my depth; not knowing what to do or when to do it or how to do it.
Watching my cousin in action made me think of God; the master who helps me live my life. He personally invites me to join him in the adventure that each day offers. And because he’s a master at his craft – the craft of loving and nurturing and guiding and caring for the people made in his image – I can trust him.
But do I? Do I really?
Sometimes.
Sometimes though, I take control…as if steering my own boat is a good idea. It’s often only later that I realize I have chosen poorly, and find my adventure isn’t working out the way I’d hoped. For I don’t know the future, I don’t always know the right places to go, I don’t always know how to satiate the hunger of my own heart, I can’t always discern how to properly prepare for the circumstances I may face.
The master does, though. He always knows.
And I don’t. So I need to trust my God. Because he is – he truly is – a master at his craft. His craft of guiding me through the journey of each and every day.
As this winter turns into spring, you and I have many opportunities to choose who’s going to direct our boat. Who’s going to be in charge. Who’s going to control our decisions and attitudes.
Maybe you would like to join me in this adventure of faith, surrendering control of your boat to God. I know it can be a bit uncomfortable, or the surroundings may seem unfamiliar, but traveling with the master of our souls will be an adventure.
An adventure that he – our loving Savior – has planned and prepared for us. He will lead us, if we will follow.
We can trust our master craftsman.
Let me pray for you. Dear Father, thank you for being such a loving master in our lives. Thank you for inviting us to travel with you and can be trusted to help us know where to go and what to do. Please help those reading this blog to look at their journey of faith as an adventure, knowing that you love them, you are guiding them, and you always are with them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
But later – as I tramp up the stairs at my cousin’s home - I reflect on the adventure of the morning: fishing with a master fisherman.
I took a bumpy four-wheel drive trip down a rutted dirt road, sat in a narrow aluminum boat with men and worms, felt chilled from the mist, and took care of “business” in a clump of trees (my heavens!). What an adventure!
But that’s not the entire story. It wasn’t just about achy bones, bumpy rides, slimy worms, and stinky fish. It also was about surrendering control and allowing myself to follow the lead of a master fisherman.
Fishing with my cousin – who truly is a master at his craft – was truly an incredible experience. He knew exactly what he was doing, so I could trust him. He had been driving boats for over 50 years, so he knew how to make his boat do what it needed to do. He knew the right time to fish, and the right lake to fish, and right place on the lake to fish. He had all the right gear and placed us in just the right spots in the boat for optimum weight distribution and balance. As we successfully caught fish, he was ready to string them. He had appropriate snacks to hand out and fight off our hunger pangs.
In short, this strange and unusual experience in my life went well. It went well because my cousin – a master fisherman – knew what he was doing and was properly prepared. Because of his expertise, we shared a fun day together on a remote, peaceful lake…and then had a delicious dinner of fresh fish.
How different the trip would have been if I had been in charge. I would have been out of my depth; not knowing what to do or when to do it or how to do it.
Watching my cousin in action made me think of God; the master who helps me live my life. He personally invites me to join him in the adventure that each day offers. And because he’s a master at his craft – the craft of loving and nurturing and guiding and caring for the people made in his image – I can trust him.
But do I? Do I really?
Sometimes.
Sometimes though, I take control…as if steering my own boat is a good idea. It’s often only later that I realize I have chosen poorly, and find my adventure isn’t working out the way I’d hoped. For I don’t know the future, I don’t always know the right places to go, I don’t always know how to satiate the hunger of my own heart, I can’t always discern how to properly prepare for the circumstances I may face.
The master does, though. He always knows.
And I don’t. So I need to trust my God. Because he is – he truly is – a master at his craft. His craft of guiding me through the journey of each and every day.
As this winter turns into spring, you and I have many opportunities to choose who’s going to direct our boat. Who’s going to be in charge. Who’s going to control our decisions and attitudes.
Maybe you would like to join me in this adventure of faith, surrendering control of your boat to God. I know it can be a bit uncomfortable, or the surroundings may seem unfamiliar, but traveling with the master of our souls will be an adventure.
An adventure that he – our loving Savior – has planned and prepared for us. He will lead us, if we will follow.
We can trust our master craftsman.
Let me pray for you. Dear Father, thank you for being such a loving master in our lives. Thank you for inviting us to travel with you and can be trusted to help us know where to go and what to do. Please help those reading this blog to look at their journey of faith as an adventure, knowing that you love them, you are guiding them, and you always are with them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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