Change is in the air...it's in the wind. Use it!

 

After the Worship service ended I was greeting people near the back. Lyn and I were new and still getting to know the church family. It was an eclectic collection of people and each one was still a mystery to us. 

 

Just as we were about to leave, Dick grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. "Hey, Ron, have you ever done any sailing? 

 

"A little, years ago. But the wind wasn't cooperative," I replied.

 

"Well, we are putting together a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands this summer. Would you and Lyn be interested in going with us? We plan to  rent a Catamaran and Captain it ourselves. We've done this for years with our kids, but this time we want to take adults. Talk to Lyn and let me know."

 

Lyn and didn't have to talk much, "YES," was our answer before we left the parking lot.

 

We barely knew the two other couples Dick had invited, so this was certainly shaping up to be an adventure into the unknown. 

 

At the time, Dick was still a mystery. He didn't fit my preconceived image of a pilot. He was humble and patient and gentle. And, he understood the wind and knew exactly what we had to do to get to where we wanted to go. 

 

He still reminds me of the men from Issachar. When they joined King David's forces the Bible records, "The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do." 1 Chronicles 12:32 NIV

 

Once we got out of the harbor he pointed to the horizon. &quoto you see it? Do you see the wind? Just off the port bow. See it? 

 

He anticipated the changes and understood them. He knew when to tack, when to let out the Jib, when to reef the mainsail, when to adjust and tweak, and when to let out and billow. As I watched and listened, he taught me how to find the wind, how to get the most from it, and how to enjoy every minute of the trip (even the danger part).

 

I learned how to set a point and sail to it, regardless of the direction of the wind. Even when the wind was in our face, we still reached our destination (it just took a little longer). I learned to watch for dangers, for coral heads just below the surface, for rocks and reefs and lobster traps. 

 

In the world of sailing one thing is certain: the wind will change. So we got new skills. When the wind changed, sails had to be adjusted. The sails made the difference. Sometimes we set for a broad-reach, at times beam-reach or close-reach, and a few times we ran wing to wing. Our GPS helped us keep eyes trained on our track to the point, while our senses grew fine-tuned to the winds of change.

 

There is a faith principle here: The winds of change are all around us. Sometimes they bring disaster, sometimes a cooling and refreshing breeze. The challenge of the moment is not just to stay alive, or enjoy periods of calm and comfort. The challenge is to stay on course, to do whatever is necessary to prove that because of the winds we are headed in the direction that proves our faith.

 

Change happens! Life is uncertain; times morph. 

 

The Apostle Paul told King Agrippa, "I preached that all must repent of their sins and turn to God-and prove they have changed by the good things they do. Acts 26:19-20 NIV

 

Is it your time to adjust the sails, to make the change work for you and not against you... to prove your faith? 

 

Regarding Henry, the movie, came out nearly two decades ago, but the message of the film is timeless. It is the story of major change and transformation. Harrison Ford, plays the part of Henry--the central  character in the film. 

 

Henry is a jerk; he is a shady, cut-throat, dishonest, and unfaithful attorney who is seriously injured in a robbery attempt. The incident leaves him with amnesia. he is a blank-slate. So, with the help of bewildered friends he starts over, from the beginning. 

 

This time he becomes a different man. He embraces different values, makes different choices and becomes a new version of what he used to be.

 

Before the injury, Henry had ruthlessly suppressed key evidence that would have awarded a poor family a medical malpractice settlement. Now, the new Henry, after discovering what he had done, quits his job and heads off in a search for that family. 

 

When they meet, he gives them the evidence they need to win the case against his former firm.

 

The wife is shocked and puzzled, As Henry is about to leave, she asks, "I don't get it. What changed?"

 

Henry looks at her and replies, "I did."

 

Faith changes whatever needs to be changed; it faces winds from all directions. Faith proves itself by what it does, not by what it says.

 

Quit complaining about the changes and set your sail. Prove you have faith. Make it so.