Sailing through life

This week I had a thought-provoking conversation with a member of our congregation, Lance, who gave me permission to share this with you. We were talking about finding purpose and making goals towards that purpose, and how so often we think we know where we are going until God shows us otherwise. Lance loves sailing, and he likens the journey of life to the course of a sailboat. We set our eyes on the horizon, and then we set our sails to shorter distances as we mind the wind and the sand bars, the currents and the eddies. There are aspects of the journey we can control, like the rudder, and there are aspects of the journey we cannot control, like the direction of the wind. Sometimes, we sail away from the horizon because that is the way the wind pushes us, but that does not mean we have changed course entirely. Often moving with the wind, even when it feels like it’s blowing us backwards, is a better choice than fighting against it. 

​I know that God has a unique plan for each and every one of us. As God said through Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). I also know that our purpose is not always clear. Some know their purpose when they are very young. These are the people who tell us they’re going to be astronauts when they’re five-years-old and that is exactly what they grow up to be. Most of us, however, take some time to develop our purpose. Our answer to “What do you want to be when you grow up?” changes throughout our lives and may still be changing into our 30s, 40s, and even 80s! I know this because I have a classmate in seminary who answered his call to ministry as an octogenarian; and you know what, God formed him in his first 80s years to do something remarkable that he could not have done prior to that. It is okay to still be seeking your purpose. I promise you—and more importantly, God promises you—that it does not mean you don’t have one. It just means that God has not yet revealed it to you. 

When we board our sailboat, we start to move, whether we’re ready to or not. When we have not yet determined our horizon, we go with the wind as it blows—the Spirit filling our sails and moving us onward. We have our hand on the tiller to change course as we encounter obstacles. We sometimes have a fleeting idea of the horizon we’re aiming for and direct our sailboat accordingly…until we determine another horizon is our aim. Your sailing is not purposeless if you don’t know your horizon. Every new water you traverse and fellow sailor you encounter is all part of the plan. So enjoy the journey. Continue taking that next right movement. Listen to the wind. Attend to the water when it creates obstacles in eddies or streamlines your journey with a fortuitous current. Mind the storms. These are all part of the journey and are overseen by a Sovereign God who reminds us through Isaiah, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2, ESV). 

Likewise, do not get overconfident if you are one of those who have set their eyes on their horizon immediately. Yes, continue the path that God has laid out for you, but be open to the change in the Divine Wind. God may set you on a path towards a horizon, and as you near it, God may set your course anew. It does not mean you went the wrong way. It means that you have “fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7), and now you have another race to sail. 

Whether you know your purpose or are still finding it, whether your purpose changes or stays steady throughout the course of your life, the best horizon to set your eyes upon is Jesus. The author of Hebrews tells us, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). In this we can never go wrong. May you find comfort in knowing that wherever you are sailing, you are exactly where you are meant to be. God’s got you right here and through your horizon. ​