In my time in coastal Virginia, I
haven’t had the time—no, let me correct that:
I haven’t set aside the
time—to row through these waters. I
often have taken the Elizabeth River ferry between Portsmouth and Norfolk. But there was a pilot steering the boat, and
an engine powering passengers between the two points. In the kayak, I was close to the water, and I
rowed and steered using the strength of my own body.
My friend—an avid “kayaker,”
reminded me about the proper use of the oar.
Use each paddle to scoop the water. He said. Hold it at shoulder length. Get into the rhythm. Don’t work too hard. Just go with the flow, and you can do the
adjusting and the turning.
And so we floated up Cypress Creek
on a zigzag course around the marsh grasses.
Along the way, I enjoyed conversation as my friend, one with an
engineering mind, reflected on the grace of God in the natural order. There were times when we enjoyed silence,
interrupted by osprey as they soared silently above us. The dogwoods were in full display, and the
sun made the blossoms even more brilliant.
My friend suggested that we turn
around before we came to a highway overpass, and to begin floating back to the
landing. For the first time, I felt what
it is like to ride the tide. My oar was
a steering device; only rarely did I use it to propel the kayak.
Then, my friend made a wise
comment. “Isn’t it great when you can
just go with the flow?” As a fellow
Christian, he and I knew that we experienced on the water what the spiritual
journey can be like. There are times
when living requires a lot of energy, and that energy often is spent when
fighting the currents. That energy may
be needed for moving against the current, or even to challenge the turbulent
waters.
In a memorable story told by Mark (4:35-41)
the disciples were battling the stormy waves while Jesus was asleep in the boat. They wake him and cry out, “Do you not care
that we are perishing?” Jesus does not
answer them. Rather, he stands and, with
quiet firmness, tells the wind and the waves, “Peace! Be still.”
My friend and I had a peaceful day on
the water. We decided to go with the
flow. Even in rougher times, going with
the flow can sustain us when we find peace in none other than Jesus the Christ.