On a summer day, when the sun shines and the skies are blue, a friend and I have ventured out to a beloved shoreline.  There is a sense of joy walking on the sand and pebbles, hearing the crunch of the scattered shells and breathing in the saltiness of the ocean air.

There is unexpected entertainment as well.  Beyond the dipping seabirds and the giggle bursts from a toddler discovering the lapping water, the boat launch is alive with activity.  It appears that the easing of crafts into the water can be more chaos than relaxation.  One would think having a boat would bring hours of calm, relaxing moments of drifting upon the gentle ocean swells.  Yet the shouts of commands and frustrating responses cut through the air. Intensity of the hollered directions and the spinning tires spitting gravel often elude to it not being quite the leisurely respite it is assumed to be.

My friend and I would sit, enjoying an ice cream while observing human nature in motion.  We would evaluate relationships based on the intensity of banter and finesse of the launch.  How many times did they pull forward then throw it into reverse?  Was the person in the boat going to be tossed overboard before the craft actually touched the water?  There were a few comical moments.  Happily, once launched, peace was restored as the boating adventurers floated away from the shoreline.

When we are in the midst of an enjoyable season in our life, what causes the sharp left turn into anxiety and raised voices.  What spurs the intensity?  Fear of things going wrong?  Distress of losing something of value?  Knowledge of how to approach a task is security.  Releasing the execution of the task to someone else triggers loss of control and requires confidence in letting go.  We know God has us – He does.  We know that by reading His word, following faith standards to ensure our life is on the right trajectory.  However, we have those moments of panic – that sharp left turn. We know what we need to do, BUT we need to open our hands and let go of controlling how our walk will unfold.  Trust is difficult.  Confidence in right steps is our floating on the water.