Praying Sailing and Praying!

Prayer

Prayer is powerful but what is it really? We say pray pray pray and do we even know how or what we are doing when we pray? The Bible says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. What exactly does that mean? I have been through many things in this life and I have always believed in the power of prayer but lately I want to go deeper I want it to be real I want it to be what God intended it to be and what I have come to believe is that true prayer is worship, adoration, loving our Heavenly Father. You know truly getting Him. I mean we take time to argue about it to ponder on it but do we really do it in a way that is pleasing to Him. We live in such a fast paced world that it has been stolen from us that is if you ever really got it in the first place. I think you know when you have truly been in His presence in worship and in prayer and you feel it and then you see Him move on your behalf. But lately I just am exhausted with this life. I am tired of trying to figure it out and in reaching this point I think I have figured it out. Just give up just give in just trust God and let Him meet you each and every day. I don’t want to try any more to make something happen I want to live in the moment knowing that the God of this universe who created me has a plan and a purpose and he wrote mysteries and adventures for me to guide me and give me strength when I feel weak. I don’t and won’t strive any more. It is funny I am working in a place where competition is abounding I mean we are to sell products and you can make a lot of money if you do. I love the products and can see that they are quality so I know I will be good at selling them because I can be honest in promoting them. However as I think about this and place a challenge out to the other girls to stay on top I find I really do not care. I mean it is natural for me to sell and talk and be a feisty go getter but inside I am like who cares, the other girls do or should and I care to the point of doing a good job but if I lose a sell does it matter to me? NO I have been thinking about God and how big he is and how he has made the path for me so very easy lately. And I think really all I want to do is share with my friends and others the secret to a happy fulfilled life and that is to surrender. I surrender all. That song I grew up in church singing and now I really mean it. I think what is really getting me is that I am in a very high end spa dressing up again and wearing my makeup the very things I could not wait to leave and now I am back but it is different I do not feel the pressure of striving to please. Don’t get me wrong I do a good job but the job I am doing I love. But more than that I know that each new person in my life is a person that I have to live my life out loud in front of. This is the will of my Father and this is what pleases Him. But what I long for most is to feel him to sit in His presence and just love Him and worship Him telling Him thank you so much for the new lives in my life the treasure of live aboard relationships how quickly they come and go and how we will never forget them.

As Jeff and Theresa left the marina the other day I felt my throat tighten and tears begin to sting my eyes and I was taken back by the emotion. We hardly know them yet we love them dearly and to think of them brings a smile to Scott and my face. We laugh and remember funny things they said and we are joyful at the thought of them falling in love and we had , have the honor of watching this take place. We will see them again they are coming to Captiva to visit so why the emotion why the almost tears? I don’t know except for I have asked God to give me love and compassion for people and he has. Also I feel so grateful to have met all these friends along the way and know that we will all go are separate ways at some point. We encourage each other and we love to hear and know that someone is moving on because the adventure and the thrill is out on the ocean and at each new port.

This is my new prayer that our Heavenly Father continues to teach us to draw close to Him as we cast our gaze upon the Sun Sets and the Sun Rise the blue water with dolphins and manatees. As we catch fish and enjoy the fresh taste. May we sit for a moment or for moments and think of our brothers and sisters who too are somewhere lazily rocking in their boat and we feel the corners of our mouths lift with the memories playing in our minds and the knowing that they too are somewhere meeting new friends or just spending quiet time reflecting on the days gone by and embracing a stirring of emotion because we all agree we have a kindred spirit with our fellow live aboard's. We are one of a kind. We are strong we are adventurous and we are courageous. I pray that through my writings I could remind myself and my friends to give God our time how dare we enjoy this amazing life His sunsets and sunrises and big blue ocean with out taking the time to tell Him we love Him.

I am going to do my best to catch as many sunrises and sunsets and make a point to sit quietly and think of the other live a boards and pray for them. I want to pray for their safety for their salvation for their knowledge of God and His great Love for them and His great power to lead and guide and protect them. I want them to know that someone cares and lifts them up and I know in turn they will do the same for me. So to my fellow live a board's here is to you to life and to our adventure. May you know that your names will cross my lips at each sunset and sun rise that I am able to sit before. I will pray to our Father that you will be protected and that you will be provided for. I pray that you will soak up His love and you will feel and see His great hand upon your life. This is when I believe I will truly know what prayer is about. Because I believe prayer like this will make our God smile down from heaven. He created us so that we would share with Him in all the beauty and goodness of this world and who He is. It is a sad thing that the fall of man brought such evil into this beautiful world but we know that God will one day put a stop to all the suffering and we will see Him face to face. I want to see my friends in heaven I want to share in that ultimate adventure with them.

So all this said and done, Look to the Father to Jesus Christ for He is our Hope. And as always Sail on!