Boat Adventures

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of taking the boat out for a ride. And for the first time in awhile we didn't experience any motor troubles. That was wonderful. We have had several times of boat trouble, but Bob finally got a professional to fix the motor this time. And boy could you tell the difference. It was beautiful out, not too hot, and nice breeze. It was late in the afternoon, so the sun was starting to go down, and the sky was turning pale blue and pink. You couldn't ask for more. We didn't stay out long though, because we didn't want to run the risk of motor trouble again. Sure hope to be able to go out again soon.

I wrote about our first experience of motor trouble in a post last year called a Comedy of Errors
You can read a shortened version of it below.

I wrote about our latest experience of motor trouble for the Pastor's newsletter article. I thought I would share it with you all as well. So here it is:

Mark 4:35-41

35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Last weekend we took our boat out to see if it the motor and everything was working alright to be able to take the youth out on the river. You may recall that last year we brought our boat up to Waterloo for the Church picnic sponsored by the men. You may also remember that we could not get the engine restarted again. That led to bringing the car and trailer to the lake house to get the boat out of water. And as Murphy’s law would have it the trailer and car got stuck at the water’s edge. It was a memorable day, one you can look back at and laugh at. Everybody pitched in and helped. The Jordans let us leave it all there over night until we could get a tow-truck out there. We got to ride back with everybody in the church van and have some more fun with everybody.

Bob fixed the motor or at least he thought he did. We went down the river this last weekend for miles it seemed like. The water was placid and pretty. The breeze made the heat bearable. On our way back the engine quit, so thinking it was out of gas. Bob switched over the gas cans, but it would not restart. We tried to start it thing over and over. In the meantime the boats are passing us by, and the kids are getting increasingly anxious. Finally someone stopped to haul us back to the harbor. Russ, the youth director had come along with us and turned out to be immense help. He helped keep the kids calm and get the boat back on the trailer manually.

Now why am I telling you this story? Well glad you asked, there are several reasons;

1. Sometimes you will be in the “storms of life”, and sometimes you will be in the “doldrums of life”. Even churches can go through storms or times of being stuck. Even our spiritual lives can be stormy or with no movement.
2. God is the God of the wind and the water. God is in control, we aren’t, and we need to trust and rely on God when we go through times that are stormy or in despondency.
3. God cares and God does provide. We may wonder if God does care when we are going through such times, but he does. And He provides just what we need. Not what we want but what we need.
   
4. Some people are good Samaritans. In both situations there were good Samaritans who helped us out. Are you thanking God for the good Samaritans in your life? And are you allowing God to use you as a good Samaritan in other people’s lives.