"You can tell a lot about a ship as you look at its wake. If it is in a straight line, you get the feeling that the boat is steadily on course and that the captain is not dozing at the wheel.... if it is smooth and flat you know something about the speed of the boat. ... With people the same thing is true. As a person goes through life, he leaves behind a wake." Dr. Henry Cloud, Integrity, 2005 That analogy caught a hold in my mind and made me think about the wake that I'm leaving as I sail through life. Cloud observes that we leave a two-sided wake, relationships and tasks. We should remember that it isn't just how we accomplish those jobs we are assigned, but who we effect in in the process.
As we evaluate the task side of our lives, it is important that we ask questions like -
- am I completing tasks on time and without needless diversions?
- do I understand the task and set my course to finish it?
- is my work well done, worthy of review?
On the relational side of our lives, there are important questions, too.
- do I create hope and encourage, or build barriers and discourage?
- are people glad that I have passed through their lives, or relieved when I leave?
- do I leave people enriched or exploited?
Sometimes the answers are obvious, easy to find. In other situations, discerning how we have performed, how we have interacted, is not so quickly discerned.
Why? Because we encounter situations and people over which and over whom we have little control. They bring their own personalities and programs into our lives. The smooth wake that we want to create by our passing is broken up by theirs. As their wake flows into ours, if we are at cross-purposes, the chop that is created can stir up a real tempest! I've been on a small boat and experienced being bounced around when a couple of speed boats passed by on crossing courses, leaving the waters roiled and rough. Then, too, there are days when we run into winds of opposition and/or difficulty that blow us off course and purpose. No matter how diligent we are at the wheel of life, trying to steer a straight course, those gusts that blow over us, can cause us to sail a wavy line for a time!
We must determine the course that God wants us to sail. We must work to know and understand His ways, and then - go forward - steady on.
In my lifetime, I've come to understand that I cannot adjust speed or course every time somebody makes an objection! I must spend time alone with God and understand what He wants from me then sail on. I must commit myself to principled living and pray for His Spirit to keep me true to those principles, set the course, and keep going. Then, over time, the wake left in my life will be a good one. Yes, there will be moments of wavering, times of rough water, but overall the results and relationships will be positive.
Take a look at the wake you're leaving on life's sea.
Don't just look close to the stern. Look toward the horizon, too. Is it straight and true? Does it show steady speed?
Here's a word about living well, for God's glory. Take Paul's benediction and turn it into your prayerful petition today.
We are... "praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you ... As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us." (Colossians 1:9-12, The Message)
Amen
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