We have recently come home from a boating holiday and it was a mixed blessing. Canal boating definitely has a way of bringing out the best and the worst in people! We booked the trip weeks ago, not long after the loss of my parents, as something for us to look forward to. A break away, just for my husband and I, an attempt to have a nice restful time, space to relax and recuperate, to reconnect with each other.
Canal boating is not relaxing! Well, it is, in that the pace of life definitely slows, but unless you are actually moored up all of the time, getting a heavy boat from A to B, with the wind and water flow often fighting against you, is hard physical work! Especially for novices. And stressful. Very stressful at times.
But we saw some amazing sights, encountered wildlife up close and personal, learnt some new skills, navigated beautiful waterways, and actually really enjoyed ourselves. And weathered a 36-hour storm with gale force winds whilst we were at it!
Safe in the boat
God has been talking to me about boats a lot recently. A few months ago, when I felt all my anchor points had been ripped out, when life was so confusing and the future so uncertain, He gave me a picture of a lifeboat in a storm. A dear friend shared what she felt God had shown her for me. That we had been on a big ocean liner (think the Titanic), but we had been forced to jump ship. This was God’s plan for us, and the lifeboat was a safe place for us to be, even if the sea was stormy and scary. The little boat wasn’t heading in any particular direction, and was being thrown about by the waves, but we were safe in it, because it was where He wanted us to be, and He was with us. At the time I found this strangely comforting.
The sail of hope
And then a few weeks ago, a couple of months after we had said goodbye to mum, and we were beginning to re-adjust to a more normal way of living again, God gave me another boat picture. This one was a literal picture – a painting on the wall of a cottage where we had gone to stay for a few days. It showed a small sailing dingy with figures in it. The waves were still choppy, and the little boat was being tossed, but the difference this time was that the boat had a sail up, and someone was holding onto the tiller. The boat was going somewhere. I felt God reassure me this time, that the sail was hope, and the wind was His Spirit. That although life still felt unsure, and stormy at times, that He was in control. That little wind filled sail filled me with hope and expectation. Things were moving on.
Slower is quicker
The week on the canal boat has spoken to me too, in so many ways. A narrowboat is hard to steer. In fact, the faster you go, the harder they are to control. You have to be moving forward, the boat engine in gear, in order to be able to steer, but we learnt very quickly that we would get into a real mess if we tried to go faster than snail’s pace! As The Boating Handbook advises, ‘slower is quicker’.
I went away on that holiday with high expectations of having the time and space to think, pray and write. It didn’t happen. I was so tired before we even stepped on the boat, and the sheer hard work involved in driving the craft, navigating bridges, locks and tunnels, made me even more exhausted. When we moored up, we ate and we slept! I was so frustrated by this, itching to get started on another book. But God had other plans. This was not the time for that. I was going too fast. I needed to slow down and let Him steer.
Safe in the boat with Him
I am still healing, from loss and grief, on so many fronts. I need more time – He needs more time with me. He knows when I will be ready to write fiction again, but I cannot rush it. That would be disastrous. And in the meantime, I am writing – this blog, that I hope will bless its readers!
Maybe you are going through a stormy season, when the winds blow strong and cold, or perhaps it feels like your moorings are coming loose? If so, I hope that perhaps my boat pictures might encourage you. Boats are safe when the person handling them knows what they are doing! So, if you feel you are in the storm-tossed lifeboat, the plucky little sailing dingy, or the lumbering, slow canal boat, remember the Captain has you. You can trust Him. Just stay in the boat with Him and listen for His voice to reassure you. Let Him steer and let Him set the pace.
Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power.
She has also written two non-fiction devotionals. More information on Joy, and her books can be found here
