Be Less of a Ship and More of a Rudder

In a world of who has this, and who has that, the statement above seems to not make any sense, but I will challenge you for the next few moments, to think about who is the captain of your ship, and are you hearing the right voice.
As I was in my quiet time today in the office, I was asking God to give me something that only He can give me…a thought for the day…a challenge to live this week by…a jumpstart to a week of having a clean cup…or in a few words of my friend Becky Tirabassi’s vocabulary…”a burning heart.”

Last week I was sitting at my desk as I normally do, and I was checking my email and something came into my inbox that I did not expect… a three sentence email from someone , who in the short amount of time that I have knew of her has challenged me to something that no one else has been able to do!

You see, a few months have passed since that July evening when we were in San Antonio as a youth group attending IYC….and were attending one of the general sessions, in which this lady that’s last name sounded like an Italian dessert to me was speaking!! Her name was – and still is Becky Tirabassi, and to be real honest with you, I was more pumped that week to see Louie Giglio and Efrem Smith, two people who I have looked up to for some time, and in fact would venture to say that Louie is someone I almost idolize in the sense of speaking. Anyways, up walks this lady onto the stage with blonde short hair, jeans and a pit bull sense that would make even our vice president Sarah Palin look like a yorkie. She talked about her testimony, talked about a burning heart, and challenged us to live a life completely set apart for God. She talked about her trip to Africa, and how she was completely shocked and did not know what to expect about the trip, but how God used her in a miraculous way. Many of you probably do not know my mom, but when I heard this lady, I was like, wow finally someone who is bolder than my mom….I have never seen this until this day!! So I wrote a note to Becky, and talked about my mom’s trip to Africa ,that is going on right now as we speak, and asked her if she could email her and be of some encouragement to her!! She did, and I thought that was cool, and was like, wow someone who challenged me so much as I was at IYC, took the time out of her busy schedule to encourage someone I look up to so much!! I know you are reading this and saying, Tug that is great…you seem to always meet neat people…who is it going to be next month…but this was different, because it did not stop at the conference!!

As I was sitting in my office last week getting ready for the day, a thought came to my head…as I am sure comes to yours from time to time!!! God, in a miraculous way today…please give me some encouragement!!! I need it, I know that I need to listen to you so clearly…but please, can you reach out to me and let me know I am doing this the way YOU want…..

An hour later I hit send/receive in Outlook Express…and in comes this email from a lady that I have been challenged by so much, and I know so many other people have as well.

Tug,
How’s your mom, do you have a burning heart, how far are you from BGSU?
Be encouraged,
Becky
www.changeyourlifedaily.com

Ok, so to you that may seem so stupid…to say you were jump started by that email…or something that small has impacted you so much…
To me the thing that impacted me the most was the way that Becky emailed me…it was sporadic…something just probably popped into her head and said..I need to email that Tug guy…whatever fashion it was…I know she was listening to God…and in the same day that I needed encouragement I got encouragement…in a way that I never thought I would!
This email to me is kind of like the story in Acts 27….please take the time to read…but remember the following statement:
Paul warned, "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship—to say nothing of our lives!—if we put out to sea now."

Acts 27 (the message version)
A Storm at Sea
1-2As soon as arrangements were complete for our sailing to Italy, Paul and a few other prisoners were placed under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, a member of an elite guard. We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was bound for Ephesus and ports west. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us.
3The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul most decently—let him get off the ship and enjoy the hospitality of his friends there.
4-8Out to sea again, we sailed north under the protection of the northeast shore of Cyprus because winds out of the west were against us, and then along the coast westward to the port of Myra. There the centurion found an Egyptian ship headed for Italy and transferred us on board. We ran into bad weather and found it impossible to stay on course. After much difficulty, we finally made it to the southern coast of the island of Crete and docked at Good Harbor (appropriate name!).
9-10By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship—to say nothing of our lives!—if we put out to sea now."
12-11But it was not the best harbor for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further on, was more suitable. The centurion set Paul's warning aside and let the ship captain and the shipowner talk him into trying for the next harbor.
13-15When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing. But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor'easter, struck. They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm.
16-17We came under the lee of the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails. But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors.
18-20Next day, out on the high seas again and badly damaged now by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard. The third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle and provisions. It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars. Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.
21-22With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, "Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.
23-26"Last night God's angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.' So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me. But we're going to shipwreck on some island or other."
27-29On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. Sounding, they measured a depth of 120 feet, and shortly after that ninety feet. Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight.
30-32Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow. Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down." So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off.
33-34With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: "This is the fourteenth day we've gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! But I urge you to eat something now. You'll need strength for the rescue ahead. You're going to come out of this without even a scratch!"
35-38He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around, and they all ate heartily—276 of us, all told! With the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping the grain overboard.
39-41At daybreak, no one recognized the land—but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach. They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail, and ran before the wind toward the beach. But we didn't make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up.
42-44The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming, but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely.

As this chapter progresses you see the way that Paul was used by God to completely change the way others lives were being lived. He goes up to the centurion ,in the beginning and says "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship—to say nothing of our lives!—if we put out to sea now." What he hears is the spirit giving him a complete nudge saying…go tell this person this…and see if they listen. The story goes on, obviously they did not listen, and had to consistently throw things overboard and cut different anchors off to save themselves…ultimately ending in a shipwreck!

You see if the person receiving the advice from Paul, would have been in tune with Christ in the way that Paul was….they would have been a complete ship..but due to them having extra cargo in their lives, they ended up as a complete wreck…in which at the end had them jumping overboard to safety!!
So like this story…if I will take the words, that were about as few as the words that Paul gave the centurion!!! Mine were “Do you have a Burning Heart?” and really listen and seek God…and know that it was from Him…it may not be smooth sailing, but at least I will be heading in the direction that God wants me to!!
So often times we want to be the whole ship when ultimately we need to be the rudder!!!
Be the small vessel that is so powerful…let God move you in ways that you do not see!!!
Keep it Flowing,
Tug