Day 21 of the #31dbc!

Staying safe is easy but there are no rewards and there are no challenges.

Just like the quote in the picture, you can buy a big beautiful boat; keep it all shiny and attractive. People can come by the dock and admire it. They will want to touch it, ask if they can come aboard and see all of the knobs and gadgets. Run their fingers across the leather seats and reach up to brush against the sails. They will pummel you with all kinds of questions about boating and you would be proud to share your knowledge of the sea or lake.

Then they ask the inevitable, “How many times have you taken her out on the water? How does she handle during a storm? What is your favorite part of sailing?”

And standing there beaming you reply, “Oh, I have never unleashed her from the dock! She has never left the port!”

As proud as you are of her beauty, you are too afraid to take her from your comfort zone, too terrified to take that first step.

She is safe in the port, she won’t get scuffed up, her sails won’t get wet, her lines won’t get tangled, and the anchor won’t get stuck.

Never will you have to worry about a storm coming up. You are secure…at home…where she belongs.

We are just like that sailor and his precious boat. We live in our sailboats (or houseboats), safety nets and comfort zones, all secure and tucked away, happy as clams as long as no one asks us to do anything that would “rock our boat”.

But is that any way to LIVE?

Furthermore, is that the way Jesus would have us to LIVE?

According to His Word, it is just the opposite.

He told Peter to “…feed my sheep…” John 21:17.

When He appeared to the eleven disciples, He admonished them to “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15.

Paul was walking on the Damascus road when He encountered Jesus and their conversation went something like this: “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” Acts 9:3-6 NIV.

Does that mean we have to drop what we are doing, sell everything we have and go walk the streets shouting, “Jesus Saves”?

What it means is; where is your heart? Where is your desire? Are you hiding in your “houseboat”, behind your safety net and fluffy comfort zone? Praying that Jesus doesn’t come and require too much of you?

Friend, we have it so “made in the shade”!

I am preaching to myself when I say we need to step out of our little worlds and take a look around and see what we could be doing different to impact this literal creation that God has given us to care for. Living and breathing human beings that will spend eternity somewhere. We just might be the only Jesus they ever have a chance to come in contact with.

Let’s not leave Him at home in our “houseboat”.

Under our safety net.

Hidden in our comfort zone.

Get that boat out on the water!

Let’s take Him with us and share Him with our world.

As we enter this season of thankfulness, I thought it would be good to hear from you, from your corner of the globe and right here close by too. Some of you I hear from regularly, some read but have never commented. What I would love to know is three things:

1. Something God has done for you in 2013, what you are most thankful for.

2. What you want to see accomplished in your spiritual walk in 2014.

3. How you and your family will be celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday if at all.

Mention what state or country you are from. You can email me your response to ynannette@gmail.com . I would like to use the information in my Thanksgiving post and show what God has been doing around the world! I will only use first names so you don’t have to worry about confidentiality. But if you do not even want me to use your name at all, please say so in your post and I will respect your wishes.

This will be a great blessing! I hope you will take a couple of minutes and answer the questions for me. I love and appreciate every one of you. These last eight months have been some of the most rewarding of my life and I thank you for being a part of the journey.

 

Sharing with Modest Mondays, Monday Praises, Playdates with God, Unite!, The Gathering Spot, Counting Our Blessings, Women Helping Women, Teach Me Tuesdays, Titus 2sdays