Saps At Sea

"I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. " - Philippians 1:23-26

When I was a kid, I was pretty sick most of the time, and so I found myself at home quite a bit. During the 50's and 60's daytime television was a lot different than today; although there were versions of Oprah even back then (Anyone remember Virginia Graham?). In addition to the soap operas and game shows, many television stations ran old movies, and so I developed this tremendous appreciation for Laurel and Hardy. To me, they were the best.

One movie I especially remember is when Ollie is just about a hair away from having a nervous breakdown, because his life in the city is filled with noise. Car horns blare at him all day long, and so, to get away from it all, Oliver takes a little boat trip with his friend Stan. But before they shove off, a criminal stows away on their boat, and when they get out to sea, he takes them hostage.

After several attempts to get free, to no avail, Stan gets this great idea. He finds a mouthblown foghorn on board, and starts blowing it! Well, of course, this drives his friend over the edge, and Ollie tears apart the boat: sending the crook flying and leaving them afloat on debris at sea. Well, at least the two saps are safe from the bad guy... even if they are afloat, and far from being rescued.

Most of us live on the edge, in one way or another. We fill our lives with activities and projects that keep us apart from the peace found in God. Sometimes, without our consent, new developments work their way in our lives that threatens that tenuous balance we have acheived with our full schedules. When a loved one becomes sick, or your expectations aren't met, you often find your self ready to "tear the boat apart." Sometimes we do strike out, and cause just as much damage as Ollie did to his boat, leaving you adrift in the rubble.

We need to realize, before it gets that far, that we've strayed too far, taken on too much, and have let too much interfere with our relationship with God. Fed up with your job? Convinced you no longer love your husband? Frantic, wondering if you will ever get to the bottom of your "to do" list? Take a new look at your position. Realize that you've let other things get in the way of your relationship with God.

Reorient your priorities. Focus on carrying out Christ's work... which includes following through on all those other commitments you've made. When you shift your focus, and remember that in Christ, all the things are possible, you can reclaim peace.