I arrived in Florida last Tuesday and was greeted by warm summer-like temperatures and generous rays of sunshine.
Who knew that in less than 48 hours Hurricane Matthew would be wreaking havoc on the Sunshine State?
Thankfully, the storm passed through this area with very little damage.
Florida is my safe haven. It is the place that I moved after college and felt God on the move in me in a most profound and powerful ways.
It is the place where I was reborn. I lost the majority of my weight within a year of moving there (over 100lbs.) yet, I gained so much.
With my weight loss, I was confident enough to try new things–things I typically shied away from in fear of failing or looking like a fool.
With nearly less than half of myself to schlep around, I was now physically able to move nimbly and began trying every new activity and exercise format.
One of the things I learned to do (and loved!) was water ski. I thank God for my Aunt Cindy who patiently and tirelessly drove the boat for nearly an entire summer just to get me upright for a few minutes before my arms nearly felt like Jello.
Fast forward 20 years to last week. I am pleased to say that I am much stronger and have more endurance than I did when I first had visions of becoming a Sea World Ski Team hopeful. (It was never in the cards for me, sunshine.)
While I made my victory laps around the lake, I realized there are many parallels to the sport and our faith walk. Here are a few:
- To ski you need a driver. To live, you need God.
- You need a rope to connect to the power source. God’s Word is your lifeline to the Ultimate Power source.
- When the rollers and waves come, bend your knees and hold on tighter. When trials and adversity come your way, bend and hold on to Him even tighter.
- You can gain mad speed and even do some fancy tricks beyond the wake. As Christians, we are required to take risks–go beyond what’s “safe.”
So whether you ski or not, I encourage you to think about your sport of choice and draw parallels to your faith walk, too, sunshine. Share with me where and how you experience God in your exercise of choice.
With waves of love, Frannie