“Sailing, sailing, over the ocean blue . . .” You know it’s one of my favorite things to do—I unpack once; I’m entertained; I can read and write all day; I don’t have to think about what to prepare for lunch; I tell everyone it costs $16 per minute to call us on the ship so the phone doesn’t ring; and I have time to ponder. I enjoy the pondering almost more than I enjoy the incredible ports and the time I have to read and relax.
I had plenty of time to ponder on our last voyage . . .
Do you know when there is no sunlight or when there’s a canopy of clouds, the sea is murky and dark, almost colorless? But when the sun is bright and the sky is blue, the ocean’s colors are rich hues of blue and purple and turquoise and aquamarine, reflecting the light and colors of the skies. Even in the darkness if the sky is clear, the moon’s reflection and the star light waltz on the water’s surface. Now ponder that for a moment. Aren’t our lives similar? When we’ve shrouded the light of Christ with our self-centeredness, or our problems and fears, or maybe our lack of faith, our lives lose vibrancy and color.
We rarely miss a sunrise when we’re sailing, and most mornings we have the deck all to ourselves. Recently we stood on the rear deck as the sun rose, and I stared long into the wake we left in our path. I thought about what was going on underneath us, unseen, but yet powerful enough to move such a ship. Sea birds followed us to feast on the small particles of sea life churned up from our passage. I tried to imagine what this wake would do to a small fishing boat; then I wondered what I leave in my wake when I pass through someone’s life. Is it a sweet fragrance? Is it nurturing and encouraging? Or does it create havoc for someone or knock them off balance?
So what kind of light are you reflecting today? Does someone think of you as being bright yellow or maybe dark purple? And . . . what are you stirring up when you pass by others as you sail through your day? Are folks following you like the seabirds flocking for nourishment to the ship’s wake? Or do they avoid you because their boat is so small and your wake is so strong?
Things to ponder . . . but mostly when I’m standing on the deck thinking of the vastness of the ocean, my mind turns to the greatness of our Creator God who made the sea and me.
Image: CC Flickr Chris Cardinal
