Kayak Spirituality – Part 3

Ready to Float!

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

Our son Andrew was more experienced than I with fiberglass.  It was comforting to have Andrew present the first few times mixing epoxy and hardener.

november-04Don’t be fooled in your spiritual journey by assumptions about the experience or expertise of others based on age.   The comfort such company provides is a real blessing.  Don’t be closed to the experience of others just because it comes from a different Christian perspective.  I have been blessed by younger Christians, my children included.  I have Christian brothers and sisters from across the Christian family.  We have learned much from one another, and we share a common love for Jesus and a strong desire to follow Him in significant spiritual practices.

I finally began constructing the kayak.  In short order, something was wrong.  The panel pieces were clearly marked “Left” and “Right”.  I mixed them up with the first two panels.  I thought I had been careful.  Once corrected, everything was good.  The kayak went together as it should have.  I checked and double-checked every step.

The simple things count in matters of Christian spiritual practices as well.  Don’t skip steps, don’t yearn after ‘significant’ practices as if the power of simple prayer isn’t significant, or as if the practices of regular Scripture reading and devotion won’t grow one as a disciple of Christ.  Attend the obvious things of life in the Spirit, of devotion, to Christ.

It is also important to seek counsel in our spiritual practices.  Ask for prayer.  Pray for others.  Practice the community we have as the body of Christ.  God calls us into a personal faith, but not a lonely faith.

One of the reasons I took four months to start building my kayak was that I was afraid I’d fail.  It’s an issue I deal with still today.  Perhaps it’s my ‘thorn in the flesh’.  Don’t be afraid to pray, to devote time to Scripture, to meditate and contemplate the Word, to grow in Christ.  You cannot fail.  The Lord is building your boat of faith, and He is sailing with you.

Text and Picture, Copyright Don Schatz

About Don Schatz

I am a retired pastor and writer. I enjoy ministries of intentional spiritual practices which help people love and serve God, and love and serve the community. I am convinced such practices evidence the FULL LIFE that Jesus promises and the world needs.