The Rudder...

I spent the greater majority of yesterday afternoon shopping with my youngest daughter and granddaughter.  We visited Costco, then Sprouts which reminded me of an upscale Trader Joe’s, and then ended up at the Super Walmart in the neighboring town of Bixby.  Bixby is actually one of the towns I’ve been interested in checking out as far as my house hunting goes.  I used to drive by the town on a regular basis on the way to work when we lived here before and had mentioned to Piper that if we ever did live here (which I NEVER thought would happen!) that I wouldn’t mind living in Bixby!  But alas, it’s changed a bit in the last ten years and the traffic was heavier than I remember it to be…. So, we’ll see!

We had a fun time compete with much meaningful conversation.  You know?  JoAnna may be our youngest, but she sure has a good head on her shoulders and gave me some good advice which I continue to ponder this morning!  I am learning that there are many times for parents to shift gears and take serious note of the information that their adult kids are sharing!  I’ll discuss our conversation more in the weeks to come…

But even with the good and fulfilling time that I had yesterday, I found that I still awoke this morning with that all-too-familiar feeling of emptiness that came on board the day that Piper went home to be with Jesus.  I mulled over all this again as I sat on my balcony in the quiet of the warm and breezy morning, almost two hours ago now.  I was armed with my “Piper’s Story” journal and my favorite God’s Word © translation Bible on my lap along with my old but very familiar and well highlighted and underlined Ryrie NASB Study Bible that I purchased in the early 1980’s, sitting on the little metal table next to me.

I was scribing down my thoughts in the journal and comparing my empty feelings to that of being in a boat, adrift without a rudder… When suddenly I had the revelation come to me that I wasn’t rudderless, but was, in fact, equipped with the same rudder in my boat that I have had since I got to know Jesus in the 1970’s!  The difference now though, was that I was needing to readjust the weight distribution of the boat since my almost life-long shipmate was now longer in the boat with me.

I’m not sure why, but that truth stuck me pretty strongly… but it also relieved a lot of the pressure that has been building up in me over the last ten months.  It was then that I had to smile as I understood that I am still in the same boat with Jesus and His Word continuing in their position as the ones guiding the ship of my life. 

My job as the pilot or captain of my ship hasn’t changed either.  James 3:4 tells us that “A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds.”  As the Captain of my ship, I am still responsible to keep my hand on the rudder, read the signs of the seas around me and stay true to the course that the sextant of God’s Word is giving me. 

That conversation on the balcony this morning reminded me of a sermon that I recently found a cassette copy of, that Piper gave to the church on a Wednesday night in September of 1999.  She was comparing our faith walk to her newly created game of “Faith Ball” that had many similarities to the American sport of football.  In describing the various positions on the “Faith Ball” team, she explained how the quarterback spot is the one that we hold in the game of life.  I must admit that at first, I was a little taken back and found myself disagreeing with her analysis!  But the more I listened to her way of thinking, I had to change my mind… so what else is new, right?

She explained how the quarterback takes his or her directions from the coach… who would be Jesus in our game of life… but always has the option of calling an audible change to the play depending on what he or she sees that the defense is going to do.  That’s just like the free-will that God has given to us in this life.  We have the freedom to make the choice to follow His plan or to change it when things don’t look like they are going to work.

As the captain or pilot of my boat, I have the choice to keep the rudder pointed in the direction the Lord and His Word are giving me, or to take a chance and switch direction in order to do what I think is a better course of action.  I have the free-will to make that decision… or mistake as some might term it!

So, as far as my life goes… sure my favorite and constant shipmate is no longer sitting next to me in our boat… but I am still there… and more importantly, the rudder is still in the same position, continuing to lead me along HIS course of life for me!  And sure, while I need to readjust my position in the boat… I am NOT planning on removing my hand from the rudder or to deviate from the life-course that He is now setting for me to follow!

How about you?

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, continue to say with me… “I am expecting to keep my hand on the rudder of my boat and follow the direction HE is pointing me in!”