DEVOTIONAL - August 31, 2010

As vacation time gives way to the routines of a back-to-school schedule, we know that with Labor Day comes the first sign of autumn. Fall is also the height of hurricane season, and Earl is now moving perilously close to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

My family enjoyed a week of vacation at Cheery Grove this summer. It is a great family beach, and it has relatively tame surf. Thus, the ocean is good for swimming, lying on a raft for hours, or even taking a kayak out for a ride. Since my parents bought a home there in the 1970’s, it’s been a very affordable place to vacation as well.

When I was serving a church in Elizabeth City, my wife and I often took our two kids to Nags Head on Saturdays during the summer. This was an ideal time because renters were leaving the Outer Banks when we were driving there in the morning, and, when we returned home in the afternoon, the traffic was bumper-to-bumper in the other direction.

Paige and I quickly discovered that although we loved the beach, in general, it was necessary to keep a close eye on Duncan and Hannah. First, they were very young and very fast! Also, because both loved the water so much, we had to watch them in the edge of the surf.

One difference in the surf on a regular beach day at Nags Head, as compared to North Myrtle Beach, is the power of the waves. The steep dip in the contour of the beach on the Outer Banks makes even the casual wave potentially dangerous for children.

As my kids grew older and went deeper into the water, I would advise them to “go with the flow” when in the water. Do not try to fight the current; instead go with it, until you can reach swallow water and make your exit from the surf. Then, you can walk back to where your parents are on the beach.

Like many other children, my kids did not listen to the wisdom of their parents at first. They would fight the current, get tired doing so, and holler for help. My wife or I would enter the water and get them, since they were never very far from our reach.

Go with the flow. It sounds like godly wisdom. In our lives of faith, let us attempt to follow where the wind of the Holy Spirit leads us. We should not fight the call of God that is on our hearts. The will of Christ is for us to be fully alive in Him, to have his mind in us, and to carry out His Great Commission. I believe the Lord of the church is leading us to greater paths of servant ministry for the cause and sake of His Kingdom.

Go with the flow! 

Mack McMillan