Adventures, ballast, and faith

I am a guy who likes to get to the point!  I analyze and ask, what’s going on? If we can figure out why is it happening, we can fix it. I like things to run smoothly and on time. And yet, I am a Pastor, a man who deals with mysteries and Someone Who is way too big to fit into any box I might try to build for Him! He invites me to live with Him in the wonder of this thing called life. A good Father, He does not always explain Himself, but He always holds out His hand and says, “Let’s walk together.”  A basic requirement for this adventure is faith which is defined in the Word as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)  For a guy thinks concretely, who likes to know the whole equation, faith is not always fun, but it sure can be interesting.

Once again my Heavenly Father has chosen to invite me on an adventure. Yesterday, I met a surgeon who gazed at the CT scan and told me that major surgery was required.  My digestive tract is blocked by something and it has to come out. I’ll have that surgery, Lord-willing, next Weds., 2/17 and then be hospitalized for recovery for several days. And, once it’s out, a biopsy will show if there are additional challenges ahead. It would be nice to write that I feel perfect peace and acceptance. I don’t!  I am working on it. At this moment, mostly what I feel is angry.  I would like to throw a tantrum like a 2 year old! But, what good would it do?

Sailing boats have a weight below the waterline,ballast, that counterbalances the wind’s forces on the sail. Without ballast, a gust of heavy wind would capsize the boat.  My life is full of gusty winds at the moment. But, I have many, many experiences walking with Him that keep me upright! There is ballast in the hold gained in prayers and tears through the years. Being human, I would prefer fewer gusts, but I am not the Master of the Seas or the Wind.  Then, too, I am reminded that I am part of a family that will help me to crew this ship through the storm.  Ever seen those racing sailboats with all the crew hanging over the side of the boat in a hard turn, helping to balance her and keep her upright?  That’s my family of faith!  I know they are pulling for me through this.

Some suggest that the devil is at work in all this. To be sure, there is a devil who actively opposes God and those who serve Him on this earth. But, as a child of God, I am absolutely convinced that nothing is allowed into my life without the permission of my Father. I don’t see my situation as the direct work of the devil. What I do see as his work is the temptation to doubt, to accuse, to let fear become the controlling emotion of my life. Instead, with the strength of the Spirit, I chose love – for God, for life, for people. My hope and prayer is that this adventure, like those He’s arranged prior, will bring about better things in me, for His honor.

Here’s the word from the Word to which I hold today. Join me in taking the promise.

"So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.
Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary." (Hebrews 6:18-19, NLT)