Navigating Life: Stormy Seas & Shaky Ground
(This is the first post in of a series on navigating through life’s ups and downs)
We are all trying to navigate through the ever-changing spiritual oceans of life. Some days feel like smooth sailing on calm waters with a gently breeze filling the sheets. Other times we are inundated by the roller-coaster waves from storms that appear out of nowhere and without warning.
If you prefer a terrestrial analogy, all of us are trying to find our footing on the ever-shifting sands of the times and circumstances of our day.
Here’s our shared reality: We are all travelers desperately searching for a way to navigate through life. One definition of the word navigating is “The study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement from one place to another.”
From one place to another: From chaos to order. From sickness to health. From addiction to freedom. From mourning to laughter. From broken relationships to healthy ones. From disappointments to fulfillment of dreams. From loneliness to companionship. From financial hardship to financial calm. From death to life. The list goes on and on.
Our family has had its share of storms and shaky grounds lately. From the untimely passing of my brother to the recent cancer surgery and chemotherapy my wife is currently undergoing, we have personally felt the strong headwinds and unnerving groundswells that life brings.
Through this, I am reminded that navigating begins with the understanding that there will be times we will pass through treacherous waters and shifting sands. We live in a beautiful yet flawed world that contains both good and evil. To ignore this is to doom ourselves to a false perception that opens the door to heartache, injury, and worse.
I am also reminded that there is God—the One, true God— who made us, loves us, came for us, and passionately pursues us throughout life. I have experienced God’s immeasurable strength and grace that has brought me and my family through tough times— over and over again. He reminds me that there is more to His plan that what I see right now, and that one day He will truly and finally make all things right. In the midst of the unstable, shaky grounds of life, God invites us to come to Him and rely on His presence, a foundation that unflinchingly remains firm and solid through the storms and earthquakes that happen.
My wife and I are choosing to trust God and rest under the shadow of His wings in her journey, and are grateful for all the people whose prayers are lifting her up. When I recently told my wife’s doctor about our prayers and faith in God’s healing power, she replied that she has observed a marked, positive difference in outcomes with people who turn to God and those who don’t: Faith makes the difference and reminds us that God answers everyone who sincerely turn to Him—in times of trouble, as well as in times of blessing.
The first step in navigating through life is to turn to the only One who can truly steer us through and beyond the storms and shaking that happens to all of us.
A few years ago, I wrote a song that included an old hymn written in the 1700’s. I wrote this during a time of medical tests and uncertainty in my health. I love that the original song included 2 voices: the composer’s voice telling listeners about God’s unfailing foundation, and God’s voice reminding us of His faithfulness to always be with us and bring us through life’s troubles by His power. He is a place of shelter, protection, and refuge as this line from Scripture reminds us:
“The Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.” Psalm 94:22
I added a 3rd voice to the song: My own. It’s one thing to hear about what God can do. But that knowledge is meaningless until we choose to entrust ourselves to God and rest in His power. This song is a personal declaration to stand upon the on true Rock: Jesus. I hope it blesses you and becomes your own declaration as well. Here is the link to that song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEu1mHvKTtY
God bless you!
Chris