I heard a true story about a friend who was vacationing with her family by a lake. One day she fell asleep on her raft. Through the course of the afternoon she drifted out quite a distance until someone noticed her predicament and sent a boat out to bring her back.
The storyteller then asked, “What did she have to do in order to drift?” And the answer, of course, was, “Nothing.”
I’ve been drifting these past three months, drifting away from regular exercise and smart eating and adequate hydration, and drifting toward comfort foods, irregular schedules, and a general malaise of spirit. I’ve been weary in well-doing and have lacked the heart to be proactive in being active. I’ve just wanted the loneliness to go away.
So some times I’ve gone with the flow, and sometimes I’ve tried to immerse myself, and other times I’ve actually done the right thing and moved toward shore. But by and large, I’ve been floundering. With David in Psalm 69:1, I say,”Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck..!”
I’m writing today to affirm to you, my friends, that I want to reach solid ground again. Right now it is a distant line on the horizon, and there’s a lot of deep water around me, but I do see that shore, and I do want to stand on it again. I won’t cover that space overnight, but I want to at least wake up from this slumber and turn this raft around and start paddling.
I want to be not only discerning, but wise as well. Discernment is knowing where the line is and wisdom is not stepping over it. So I’m heading out now to renew my gym membership for another year. I’ve had two healthy meals so far today, and have dinner planned, and am halfway through my day’s allotment of water.
Even better, I’ve called out to shore for help, and thank you and the Lord for sending out a boat to bring me back again.