Smooth Seas Don't Make Skillful Sailors

Late Tuesday evening I quietly eased out to the cemetery. It was quiet out there and there was no one else out there. I was visiting my sons grave on the 12th anniversary of his death. As I sat there I thought about the amount of time that has passed since that day and how life changes so quickly. Change happens slowly but sometimes it happens in a moment. Life can change so quickly that if your not anchored, you can be swept away. Don't believe me? Ask the people that hear these words. "You have cancer." "We're having a baby!" "There's been an accident." "We're getting married." "We are going to have to commit you for a period of time." "We want to run a few more test.". All of these have changed someone I personally know this month. As I sat there thinking about these people who are going through these things right now I was reminded about what I was thinking about. Other people and their lives and the changes they are dealing with.It made me smile. Instead of the focus of my mind being on me and my little pity party, I found myself praying for those around me that are struggling right now. That's a product of being loved by God who has given us guarantees. He has guaranteed our future, if we believe in Christ. He has promised us that the dead will be resurrected. (John 5:28-29) That's what I was lacking after Wyatt died. A belief in the guarantees that God has made. I was not anchored. I was just out there un-tethered and adrift. I believe that's what happens to a vast majority of believers and non-believers. Its all good in life when things are sunny and easy but when those storms hit, the skills needed to navigate those rough waters are non-existent.   The old saying goes "Smooth seas don't make skillful sailors."  A life without problems and pain doesn't exist. There are patches of smoothness and patches that are rough and patches that you can't imagine how to navigate. Its there that you learn how to really sail through these problems. "Sail" Really Chad?  Yes. Sailing whether or not the water is calm or rough. No matter the circumstances. Follow me. What if God allows these storms to come through your life in order to affect someone else?  What if your story, better yet, your experience, is designed to inspire and show people God's love in your life?  What if you are in a storm that is very difficult but how you deal with it is a testimony to those on the outside watching? Christians are always being watched. Watched to see how we deal with storms in our own life. Watched to see if we will fail. Watched to see if God will move in our lives. Watched to see God. They use us as a sort of gauge. Does that mean we are perfect? No. Does it mean we will fail at times? Yes we will and do fail at times but God is always there with us. That's what people really want to see. God moving in our lives. So no matter the storm, stay in the boat and learn the skills to navigate the storms.