June 20, 2020
Some friends of ours have a beautiful lake house that they are kind enough to let us use every summer. The house is up on a hillside and there is a dock for boats, fishing and swimming on the shore below. The lake, Lake Buchanan, is part of a chain of lakes made from a series of dams along the Colorado River in central Texas. Because of its association with the dam, the lake’s water levels are ever changing, and the dock is adjustable. It is anchored to the rocky shore line, connected by strong cables and an automatic pulley system with a metal bridge for accessing the dock. When the lake water level is high, the bridge is shorter, and the dock is closer to the shore. When rain is in short supply or for some other reason the dam at the head of the lake is not being released, the dock must pull out farther from it’s anchoring on the shore wall, in order to be able to float. When this happens, the metal bridge we cross to get to the dock is longer. I always feel like the dock seems happier when it is bobbing closer to the shore because the lake is fuller. I know it is easier to access when it more closely hugs the land. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you probably know where I am going with this. It’s an easy metaphor. God is the shore line, the steady predictable constant presence. We are the dock. When our lives are full, it is easier to feel content and closer to God. Or is it the other way around? Is it that when we pull ourselves in closer to Him, our lives feel more full and our worries are fewer? One thing is certain: when our level of joy is low, it is not because God pulled away from us. (The shoreline is not moving.) Times of trouble are always compared to storms in our lives. But what if storms are needed to produce the rain that helps us float higher in the water and pull us closer to the shore? It’s something to think about next time I’m sitting on the dock. Hebrews 6:19 (TLB) “He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has promised them. This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven…” Hebrews 6:18-19 (The Message): “We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God…” Hope is the anchor for our soul. Smile and be joyful!
Some friends of ours have a beautiful lake house that they are kind enough to let us use every summer. The house is up on a hillside and there is a dock for boats, fishing and swimming on the shore below. The lake, Lake Buchanan, is part of a chain of lakes made from a series of dams along the Colorado River in central Texas. Because of its association with the dam, the lake’s water levels are ever changing, and the dock is adjustable. It is anchored to the rocky shore line, connected by strong cables and an automatic pulley system with a metal bridge for accessing the dock. When the lake water level is high, the bridge is shorter, and the dock is closer to the shore. When rain is in short supply or for some other reason the dam at the head of the lake is not being released, the dock must pull out farther from it’s anchoring on the shore wall, in order to be able to float. When this happens, the metal bridge we cross to get to the dock is longer. I always feel like the dock seems happier when it is bobbing closer to the shore because the lake is fuller. I know it is easier to access when it more closely hugs the land. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you probably know where I am going with this. It’s an easy metaphor. God is the shore line, the steady predictable constant presence. We are the dock. When our lives are full, it is easier to feel content and closer to God. Or is it the other way around? Is it that when we pull ourselves in closer to Him, our lives feel more full and our worries are fewer? One thing is certain: when our level of joy is low, it is not because God pulled away from us. (The shoreline is not moving.) Times of trouble are always compared to storms in our lives. But what if storms are needed to produce the rain that helps us float higher in the water and pull us closer to the shore? It’s something to think about next time I’m sitting on the dock. Hebrews 6:19 (TLB) “He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has promised them. This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven…” Hebrews 6:18-19 (The Message): “We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God…” Hope is the anchor for our soul. Smile and be joyful!
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