So I have been away again! To a big national Christian conference/festival for people in their 20s and 30s. it was all rather exciting. At these kind of con-festivals there is usual a market place somewhere where charities organisations and places that sell stuff ( bibles worship CDs and the like) kind of congregate to show you in essence what is out there. They could have silly games like naming a llama to raise awareness of south america or moving beads with chopsticks to show mission work in China.
I was wandering around the stalls at the festivals then I saw a face I recognised. I couldn't quite work out where it was from so I took a stab in the dark and said Hello to the older gentleman on a ministry outreach stand
"Hi, did you go to - my local large church-?" I asked. We would go there Christmas eve and for events and things and I did youth club there.
He smiled and replied that he used to pastor the church nearest to it- the one that wasn't Anglican. Then I realised that he was the chairman of governors at my Junior school. I got my governors award when I was in year 6 and he presented it to me. I asked him if that was him and he said it was and asked me how long ago I was there we established I was ten years younger than his daughter so we wouldn't have been at school there together.
We talked about the mission field he ended up in and what I was doing. I made a throw away comment -something I always say to people.
" I sail to his wind - where he blows that is where I go."
I grew up near to the seaside and a naval base so I have seen a lot of boats and I have been on a few in my time. I love to think of the world as our ocean and setting my course to his wind. I see so many people running on a motor boat or worse a jet ski ( one that sprays water in the faces of those around them) going under their own steam in whatever direction they please. Some who have got rid of the engine have taken to having one paddle and are going around in ciricles their sails in tatters. I like the analagy it makes me smile and think of where I grew up.
However he challenged it.
"If you sail by his wind what then is your keel?" He asked me.
I was stumped - I know my bow form my stern and even at a push port from starboard ( P comes before S as L comes before R) I can even tie one or two of the knots if I really think about it. But aside from 'Keel over' I had no clue what a keel was.
Apparently a keel is a counter balance under the boat which balances the forces keeping the boat on the water because well if it was just the sails the boat would be really unstable and fall into the water.
"The word of God has to be your Keel. If his Spirit is the wind."
"and obedience is the rudder." I added. " Jesus is on the rudder showing me how to be obedient."
It is a beautiful picture ( so I had to paint it! even though I haven't painted in ages.). I am glad that God was there in that moment to show me through someone who had fit into my past that I was going right. I struggle to read God's word and I love reading - I know its important but often I just skip it. I love it when I am reading it and I often get pictures and all sorts of things. I guess that is part of spiritual warfare. But the most important part of the picture for me was that I was not alone in the boat. that I was doing life with Jesus. Whichever flotilla I end up in, whatever part of the ocean I am his and he is mine.
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