The Boat Ride

This boat ride of life that all of us are on continues in this new year that is now six days old. Since the theme for this year is hope, I want to expand on the source of hope, that is, the Holy Spirit. I could write about the Holy Spirit every day for this whole decade and only begin to scratch the surface.

The mystery of the Holy Spirit has been revealed to me very slowly during this very special journey. The best way to describe it is like putting together a very complicated jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces of the puzzle are there but they don't make sense. The Holy Spirit knows what the final outcome looks like and is willing to assist but must be asked first.

Each of us are a part of the puzzle. Some are friends, others may be enemies. Some of us have faith while others do not believe in God. Everyone is part of the puzzle and nobody is to be excluded.

The puzzle is put together in clusters. There are similar pieces of the puzzle that are attracted to each other and they have no trouble connecting. The hard part is when it is time to connect pieces that don't normally get along. This is where the Holy Spirit can assist. In order to get over the hurdles of past hurts and pain, we need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is able to reveal a future full of possibilities and opportunities if we are willing to just let go.

Gradually, the puzzle comes together. New alliances are formed and the different colors and shapes connect to form a work of art. This is what the boat ride is all about. Why should we stop working on this puzzle? Is it too difficult or time consuming? Is it worthwhile?

For people with hope, the Holy Spirit has already given us a picture of what the puzzle will look like when the masterpiece is completed. Our job is to share that vision with others who feel left out or lack hope.

As we sail through this new year, lets keep reminding ourselves that this boat ride is not a sprint but a marathon. Lets turn to the Holy Spirit for our hope and let go of the past. Don't worry about tomorrow. Just focus on keeping your sails up for this one day and live it to its fullest. Take a look at the goals you have set for this year and do something today that will help you reach them. Every day there will be something new for all of us to learn. Lets do it together.