You may have to bear with me while I unpack some of the
thoughts of the past fortnight, when we voyaged across the Atlantic from
Southampton to New York City. I’ll start with the waves.
The crossing was mostly calm, but one of the days the seas
swelled to Force 7. Because of the great stabilisers on the Queen Mary 2, we experienced
very little movement on board – a great blessing. Who wants to be seasick? I
stood on our balcony (yes, worth the extra cost for sure!), and watched the
swell of the waves meet the wash from the huge liner. Where the moving waters
collided, their darkness gave way to beautiful tropical shades of aquamarine.
Why? I’ve no idea, but it provided a welcome flash of colour in an otherwise
shades-of-grey seascape.
Reflecting the turbulent seas were the swirling clouds
overhead. Shades of grey there too. Everything was moving, and yet nothing was ‘alive’
in the sense of being animate. Their action made them appear alive, but they
are just material mixing and re-mixing due to currents, winds, tides, whatever.
It reminded me of a comment in the book of James, that the
doubter is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Now I’m
thinking that the doubter is spiritually inanimate, only coming to life once
anchored to the rock of Christ. Riding at anchor, a believer is moved and
swirled but never goes under in a churning maelstrom of events and emotions. Anxiety
is like the tossing sea, inanimate itself but affecting thoughts and emotions
so that what begins in one place, ends in another.
James’ comment was in the context of a person asking God for
wisdom; when one asks, she needs to believe the Lord has given wisdom to her
and act on it, not remaining marooned in a lagoon of self-doubt and questions.
The only way to survive a Force 7 in life is to remain
anchored to The Rock.
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