Follow the Leader

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were blessed to be able to take a week away from our work and family and cruise with another couple through the Western Caribbean. Two of our day excursions involved snorkeling around the island's barrier reefs where we were stopped for the day. It was my first time ever snorkeling, and my first try at it in Grand Cayman was difficult both physically and mentally, but it was during my second try off of Haiti when I figured it out. For those of you who are snorkeling naturals, I am probably preaching to the choir, but it was extremely cool to be able to see all the various coral designs and vegetation, not to mention all the various fish and crustacean species living throughout its expanse. Well, the boat that took us from the ship out to the reef could not pull right up on top of the area where we were to snorkel, so it had to anchor on a sandbar maybe a quarter of a mile away. Once all 35-40 people were geared up and in the water, our captain instructed us to follow him out to the reef and not to get ahead of him during the journey. The group was fairly calm and organized while following him out, as most folks kept their eyes on the captain while taking periodic looks beneath the surface to see what we were swimming past. However, when we reached our furthest point, and he instructed all snorkelers to begin working their way back to the boat, things got a bit crazy. Some folks had had all they wanted by this time, and attempted to go straight back towards the boat. Others were so caught up in what they were seeing beneath the surface that they swam in circles or erratic patterns, often bumping into others or the kayak positioned to keep folks out of the shallows. Still others, though, managed to steadily snorkel their way back to the boat at the same angle in which we had gone out, scanning the reef below while keeping an eye on the captain, and as a result, staying out of the shallows and off of the delicate reef.

Psalm 119:1-3 (Message)
You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.

Later that day, while lying on the beach in Labadee in the shade of a palm, I reflected back on the similarities between what I witnessed with the return of folks to the boat, with the various rhythms and movements in which we follow Christ. You know, on some occasions we have just had enough of the path it seems He has set us on, and we decide to detour to as straight of a line as possible to reach our desired destination, unphased by the barriers, dangers and difficulties which lie in between. Other times, we get caught up in the awe and wonder either of what God has blessed us with, or rather with those things of the world, and lose track of our leader up ahead, moving erratically through our lives and weaving back and forth across our intended paths. But yet there are occasions in which we find a sweet rhythm, where we manage to keep our eyes on His leading while being able to enjoy that with which He has blessed us. It is in these times that we often feel the most in tune with Him, and as a result, the most energized to keep going in His strength and His guidance.

I ask you - which of these paths and approaches apply most closely to your daily navigation through life? Are you scrambling to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, regardless of the dangers or frustrations in between? Are you so caught up in material blessings or earthly distractions that you have lost sight of Him? Or have you found the groove of keeping your eyes on Him up ahead of you, staying on His intended path while enjoy His daily blessings in your life? There's a lot to be said for learning to follow the Leader. - GE