Gone sailing lately?

Ever been sailing?  It's beautiful to watch.  It looks so serene and effortless.  At least that's how it appears from the banks of the lake.

What's behind all that smooth sailing?  What does it take to keep a boat like that on course?  Bob Payne, writer of an article on the basics of sailing on the iExplore website, lends some insight.  He says it doesn't require much.  The sail is hoisted up in the morning and taken down in the evening.  The rest of the time you simply "tinker with the winches, cranks, and pulleys to maintain course."

"Tinker with the winches, cranks, and pulleys to maintain course."  What a beautiful word picture of what life balance is all about.  Balance is not a destination.  You don't arrive at balance and say, "There.  I've made it.  I can now relax."  On the contrary, since life is always in a constant state of flux, we are either moving closer to or further away from balance.  And how do you define balance?  That depends on your values and life purpose/vision.  The closer you are living to your values, the more balanced you are.

Bob says, regarding sailing (you hoist the sail in the morning and take it down in the evening.  Everything else is making adjustments to maintain course.)  Life is the same way.  You are born at the beginning.  You die and the end.  All the other time is spend making adjustments to maintain course.  The key is having a course to maintain.

What's your course?  What do you value?  What is God's vision for your life?  Are you actively engaged in that vision?  If you are, good for you!  If you are not, perhaps it's time to discover what your values are and how you can align your life according to those values.

Incidentally, to read Bob Payne's full article on the basics of sailing, click HERE.