"Put up your sail and catch
the wind." Or "Getting in and
out of boats."
Have you ever thought of
something you would like to do, but you couldn't figure out how it would work
or how it would succeed? So you dropped the idea "until later."
What about the book or booklet
you were going to write, but never got around to it? What about the art classes
you wanted to take? What about the place you promised yourself to go? Or the
person or ministry you really wanted to hang out with?
You know we only have one life to
live down here. You may as well have some adventures. I tell the older people,
the grandpas and grandmas - this is the best opportunity you've ever had to get
up and do something adventurous.
How do you know if it is going to
work? Well sometimes you don't know, you have to "give it a go," as
they say in NZ or as Janice's husband, David says to her, "Put your sail
up and see if the wind will catch it."
Take the Opportunities
You have to take opportunities - doors
can open and close, windows of opportunity can open and close. If you don't have your spiritual antenna up
you can miss those doors, because you are "busy." Did you know you can be so busy working for
Jesus you can totally miss a God opportunity?
Jesus doesn't require you to work for Him; He wants you to yield to Him
so that He can work THROUGH you. Much easier that way.
Some opportunities mean that you
are in the boat. But you have to push off from the shore. You have to leave
familiar territory - your comfort zone and launch out, not exactly knowing all
the details on the map either.
Sometimes you have to get OUT of
the boat if the boat has become your comfort zone. Remember Peter, he got out
of his comfort zone didn't he? A boat - that's
his territory - he was comfortable
there. He was a fisherman and guess what?
Fishermen practically live in boats. A very familiar place for him he
had probably managed to keep safe in all kinds of weather before now. But suddenly!
Peter saw Jesus walking on the water. Do you know just like you, Peter had
never actually seen anyone do that before.
I'm sure he had eyes like
saucers. "Whaaaat?" But before he
knew it, he realized this was an opportunity, and he leapt into an unknown
sphere of faith. He couldn't wait for Jesus to get in the boat, because that
particular opportunity would pass. He leapt into action, didn't he?
Next thing - there he is walking on
the water. Whhoooa amazing. Of course we
all know he got His eyes off Jesus and had to get back in the boat, but at
least he had a go. At least he knew in
future that's a possibility.
Sometimes You can't Wait
You know sometimes there isn't
six months for you to debate about how to respond to an open door. You have an idea of something but that's not
enough - you have to push out from the shore, you, have to raise the sail. You
have to let the wind catch the sail.
Do you know that in Ireland in
the 5th century and 6th century there were many preachers in the monasteries.
During that Celtic revival the monasteries would have about 4,000 young men and
women. They were like our Bible colleges. They healed the sick, preached the
Gospel and raised the dead. Some of
them, called the Peregrini, would get into a boat off the shores of Ireland.
The boat had no engine, no oars and no rudder. They hoisted the sail and
trusted God to send the winds to take them where they were meant to go. Brendan, the navigator, had many miraculous
adventures that way. He even sailed to America (the land of promise he called
it.)
So, what about you? You can stay in your comfort zone - in your
familiar boat, or you can raise the sail and let the winds take you out and
into the purposes of God. It's so easy
to get settled, isn't it? Now is not
that time. We all have heard and seen the prophesies about the move of God and
about the CHANGES.
Follow Me
Peter was probably quite
successful as a fisherman. He was comfortable there - it's what he knew. But He
met Jesus and Jesus really turned his boat upside down. There he was in his
comfort zone life and suddenly he met a man unlike any other man he had ever
met. One day Jesus said, "Hey Peter, leave all that fishing, get out of
your boat, I have some other fish to fry."
Kathie's interpretation, but it's good (and scriptural).
Peter had to make a decision
didn't he? Jesus didn't say, "I will give you six months to think it over
and if you feel so inclined, well you can come with me." He just said to Peter, "Follow me,"
and probably carried on walking.
Are you ready to hoist the
sail? Are you going to push away from
the shore? If you want things to change
you have to do something different. I don't believe it's the will of God that
you are in a job that you hate, or a ministry or church you can hardly stand;
That's immoral really as you will never give it your best. He puts His desires
in your heart so that when you serve Him, it's delightful, because it's in your
heart. What really is in your heart?
Keep your antenna up. Hoist the
sail, let the wind come and take you where He wants you to go.
Read my Celtic Book, Celtic
Flames, and read about the great adventures those 6th century Fathers of the
faith had - Patrick and Brendan and Brigid and Cuthbert and Comgall, who
founded the famous Bangor Monastery. They all raised the dead, healed the sick
and preached the Gospel. You can find it on www.identitynetwork.net.
Kathie Walters
Price: $7.99