Hubby and I were downtown early this morning at the Google campus, and it was fascinating to watch all the activity occurring on the Montlake Cut. (the Montlake Cut is a channel which was dug in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to connect Lake Washington … to Lake Union … to the Puget Sound via locks)
For it to be 7:30am on a Monday morning, there were a surprising number of rowers and crew teams out on the Montlake Cut. Here you can see a crew team, with their trainer in the accompanying craft, yelling in the way athletic trainers do, through a megaphone.
This is a good picture of life … as we go throughout our life, we are part of a team (those whom we do life together with). We have to pull together as a team. We have to work together as a team. And sometimes, in order to achieve our greatest potential, we need somebody to cruise alongside and “yell through a megaphone” how we can improve to do better.
Not only were there crew teams out on the Montlake Cut, there were also a large number of individual rowers. Here you can see a group of individual rowers.
This also is a good picture of life … as we go throughout our life, we row as an individual. We pull our own oar. It is up to us. We have to have the drive to do something with our life. We have to have the will to try hard. We have to have the determination. We have to have the fortitude to push through the pain. We have to have the mental strength not to quit when it hurts and it’s difficult.
Here you can see a well-trained & conditioned team of two cruising past at an impressive speed … while in the background, along the far shore, is a brand-new rower just learning the basics of rowing, and hardly moving at all (with the teacher in the craft coming along just behind, giving instructions through a megaphone).
This also is a good picture of life. We won’t always know what we are doing. There will be different seasons and stages in our life when we will be brand-new “beginning rowers.”
An example might be brand-new newlyweds. We’ve never been married before. We’re trying figure things out. Or perhaps … brand-new parents. We’ve never been parents before. We don’t know what exactly to do with this screaming little bundle that sleeps and poops all the time. Or perhaps … brand-new college student. Or perhaps … brand-new employee at a brand-new job.
It’s ok to not know what you are doing. It’s ok to be a brand-new “beginning rower.” It’s ok to hardly be moving at all as you try to figure out “how to hold the oars” and “how to stroke.”
You’ll figure it out. Just give yourself grace. And give yourself time.
Before you know it, you’ll be cruising along just like the well-trained & conditioned team of two in the photo above.
Here you can see a group of “Learning to Row” students in bright pink vests who have moved over to the side in order to make way for another class of more advanced rowers to pass.
This too is a good picture of life. As we are trying to figure things out as “beginning rowers” it’s ok to move over to the side to give space for “more advanced rowers” to pass. The “more advanced rowers” serve as inspiration for us as we think: that’s where we’ll be one day. One day we’ll be that good and can stroke along all impressive like that!
As newlyweds, we see others who are in a “more advanced” stage of marriage, and we are inspired by their example. We think: that’s our goal! … one day we will be like that! As new parents, we see other parents who have children a few stages ahead of where we are, and we are gain courage and hope by watching their example. And we think: one day I aspire to be like that!
As a middle-school student moving up to high school we look at those juniors and seniors who seem to be so much “more advanced” … and we hope and dream of achieving such a status! As a college student … as a new employee … we do the same thing.
All throughout our life we’ll find ourselves moving over to the side, to give space for the “more advanced rowers” to pass. That next level of skill is our hope. That’s the goal we’re working towards!
This morning on the Montlake Cut, I just had to take a photo of the power tower. We can’t do any of life without the power of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is our power tower!
The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to succeed and thrive in marriage. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to work through the challenges and difficulties so that as a couple we become a well-trained, conditioned “rowing team”!
The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to succeed at being parents. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom when we don’t know what to do to help, train, & guide our kids! The Holy Spirit gives us patience! It’s the Holy Spirit’s power which sustains us and enables us to become “next-level” parents!
The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need in our career. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to endure medical challenges. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to keep going in the face of heartbreak and disappointment. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to survive life no matter what situation we face.
It’s all the Holy Spirit’s power!
As crew teams and individual rowers cruised up and down the Montlake Cut … and a seaplane flew directly overhead … the power towers stood tall as sentinels along the Montlake Cut, carrying power to places where power is needed.
As the Holy Spirit provides power for our life … we in turn are able transfer and pass along that strength/power for others in our life. We have the strength/power to be there for them when their life falls apart. We have the strength/power to help them keep standing when the ground caves in beneath their feet. We have the strength/power to love & help them through their hardest times!
The Holy Spirit gives us power so that we in turn can carry that power to places where power is needed.
A group of about 10 or so Canadian Geese came swimming by, having an early morning breakfast of water grasses along the edges of the Montlake Cut.
I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’s words: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry … Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” – Matthew 6:25-26
God gives the Canadian Geese water grasses for breakfast. God will take care of us!
God will take care of our needs!
The sweetpeas were in full bloom! Everywhere … on every wild little piece of land along the Montlake Cut, the sweetpeas were blooming!
“Why do you worry? See how the [sweetpeas] of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. … If that is how God clothes the grass [along the side of the road], will he not much more take care of you.” – Matthew 6:28-30
“So do not worry. … But seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [aka: all your needs God will take care of!]” – Matthew 6:33
Thank you God for all your many blessings this morning along the Montlake Cut!
* Thank you God that you have blessed each one of us, by giving us others to “do life” together with. Thank you God for your blessing of letting us be part of a “crew team” and “row together” through life with others who are “on our team.”
* Thank you God that it’s ok for us to be “beginner rowers” and that, during certain seasons of our life, it’s totally ok to not have things “figured out.”
* Thank you God for giving us the blessing of others who are “more advanced” in seasons and stages of life ahead of us, to be an example for us to look up to … and an inspiration to give us hope!
* Thank you God for giving us power (via the Holy Spirit) so that we have strength/power to live each day for your purposes and your glory!
* Thank you God for providing for us!
* Thank you God for meeting our needs!
Thank you God for all your many lessons this morning along the Montlake Cut!
