Wanna go sailing?

Life without prayer is like sailing without a sail. Prayer allows us to catch the wind of God’s Spirit. Once we catch the wind God places our hand on the rudder and, with God, we navigate through life. In a pond or small lake it doesn’t seem to matter as much, but the larger the body of water the more it does matter that we have good sails. Does a body of water get any larger than life? When we’re stuck in the middle of water without any means of moving, except for the current, we are exposed and helpless in the midst of any “weather” that comes our way.
So, why does any of this matter? If I don’t sail and don’t care about prayer, why should it matter?
Well, first of all, we’ve got nothing to lose. Prayer is expressed in either thoughts or words. How many times a day do we think or say things to ourselves that are far more meaningless than the words of even the simplest prayer? So, if I happen to spend time praying, in whatever form I want to pray, if it’s nothing more than a vent or rant, it’s okay and can be helpful. But, if I believe that prayer is opening myself to catch the wind of God’s Spirit, something incredible just might, and probably will, happen.
So, if I take a chance, pray, and “accidentally” discover that God is real, then, I have truly found a buried treasure, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, etc., etc. Is there anybody who doesn’t benefit from having a positive work relationship with our boss? Probably not. When the boss appreciates our work, good things generally happen. How much better is it if we have a good working relationship, based on trust, with the One who has made and sustains the life in everything?
When we have wind, sails, and a rudder we can reach the destinations we desire. That works very well in a real sailboat, and when using it as a metaphor for life. Yes, I know that sometimes there just isn’t any wind out on the water, the wind will change direction, and sometimes other conditions set us on a different course. When we’re talking about life there are more serious similarities and differences. The unexpected things of life always have a greater impact than those on the water. (Yes, if your sailboat gets caught in a very bad storm it can be as serious as it gets. That’s exactly what I mean.) On the water, we have no control over the conditions, only over what we do under those conditions. Life is pretty much the same, other than, when we open ourselves to The Wind/God of life, God always wants the best outcome for us. The conditions of life never stop and ask us what we want, nor do they try to make the best happen for us.
I have been sailing several times in my life. Once on a friend’s boat that was around a 30 footer and it was on Lake Erie. The other times were on much smaller boats, and bodies of water, and were with my wife. So, every time I’ve been sailing has been a great experience no matter what the conditions might have been. I can say the same, even more so, about my sailing experiences with God in life. All the water experiences were with God too! It really is a win-win. Like everything else, you really do get out of something what you put into it. Have a great life!