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I learned things that were important just to sail the waters of life in general. Things such as: "Boats float, people DON'T."
Both my dad and grandfather must have
repeated that little saying a thousand times each and every time we climbed into the boat. I know that each time they did, I would roll my eyes and
wrinkle my freckly little nose!
Looking back, I realize that had it not been for that precious little sing-song phrase, I may not have
ever learned the many dangers that lurked in something as common, yet beautiful and necessary as water.
Oh sure, I learned a lot more about water, and that people indeed could learn to float on their own as I grew, but not in the way that my dad and grandad taught me.
Though my two beloved first teachers are gone now, the memory of that fishing trip so long ago
still has the power to make me smile, and ever so much more thankful to have had them in my life, and to of learned so much from them.
As life transforming as that simple lesson was, the greatest lesson I learned on that fishing trip was
the one that would set the course of my life in the direction that it needed to follow. On the final night of
the trip my dad decided that grandpa and I should have some time alone so dad stayed behind in our
cabin while grandpa and I headed out on the boat.
I didn't know it at the time but grandpa and I were not really going to go fishing, In the dark!
Instead, grandpa had planned a wonderful night time picnic complete with candles and music aboard
that delapitated little boat.
I don't recall what went through my mischievous little five year old mind but, when grandpa ran
back to our cabin to grab our picnic basket filled to the brim with all my favorite foods, I decided that
it would be fun or who knows what, to toss the paddles (as I liked to call them) into the water.When
my grandfather arrived back at our boat, I started singing a song for him, sure that he would ask me
to do so if i didn't, as he never failed to do.
I was delighted to dig into all the goodies in our picnic basket, as grandpa played the guitar. Without
warning, the sky grew ominously dark, the wind stated too howl ferociously, and before grandpa could do anything, we were adrift on the water. I recall fondly that grandpa calmly asked me to put my life jacket on. I could barely hear his comforting voice above the angry wind.
I am not sure how much time elapsed, but it seemed as though hours had gone by, when finally the storm
was over! I could sense the fear in grandpa's voice when he asked me about the "paddles." I burst into a hailstorm of tears as I told grandpa what I had done. He wiped my tears and hugged me tightly, but didn't say a single word.
At some point during that cold dark night, we were picked up somewhere many many miles
from where our unplanned journey had begun. I had cried myself to sleep and slept so deeply that I
knew nothing about what happened next until I woke up on what I would later learn was a fisher-men's
boat.
Now, so many years later, I don't recall the details but I remember something that would pretty
much shape a big part of who I am as an adult. As we were getting off the boat, I saw a majestically
beautiful old lighthouse! Grandpa following my curious gaze, told me that it was a lighthouse, and that
it was named "Jesus." I giggled and told my grandfather that he was silly, that it was just an old building and that Jesus was a person. Grandpa smiled and told me that Jesus is our lighthouse.
He continued, telling me that life is like the sea, sometimes calm, and sometimes stormy. He said that
if I would just keep my eye on that lighthouse (JESUS), no matter the weather, that He would always lead me home, and ultimately to him!
I of course was not able to fully grasp the meaning of grandpa's words, never the less, I would never forget them.
As I grew, I came to realize that Jesus is indeed our light house! I learned that Jesus is always there
like that old lighthouse. I learned that he stands big and strong unmovable, indestructible to lead me home, be it in darkness or light of day. I need only to keep my eye on him no matter what.
