Wild Seas, Safe Harbor & GOD's Provision

  

Kodiak, Alaska / Harbor 

 

For decades, Granger Community Church sailed the seas like we were made for them. We sailed through chaotic waves, dark nights and terrible storms, as if we were created for the very purpose of sailing. GOD is great, good and patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance... and many of those, "sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore," were saved. 

But sailing, even when you are made for it, takes a toll on both vessel and crew. So GOD leads us to quiet waters and restores our souls. Not only does GOD provide for us on turbulent seas, GOD provides safe harbor too. 

If you ignore the maintenance of your dilapidated vessel, you'll ruin the ship and your crew. But if you stay anchored forever, you'll ruin more than the ship and your crew; you'll dishonor the original intent of the boat's builder, recinding and repudiating the ship's very purpose for existing. 

We had a few years when we didn't know why our pace slowed. We didn't understand what was holding us back. Maybe we were overburdened. Maybe barnacles hitched a ride on the hull and the resistence was difficult to manage. Maybe we had sprung a leak. Maybe we lost our buoyancy. 

Whatever the problem was, it had to be figured out, diagnosed and repaired.  So we sailed into safe harbor and dropped anchor. 

If we didn't do a serious diagnosis, admit the truth, make some repairs and refurbish our supplies, we weren't going to get out on the water again anyway. 

We made adjustments in the safety of the harbor we couldn't have made when we were under full sail. 

Some of our High Seas Crew didn't stay aboard for the maintenance season in the harbor. Do you blame them? Navigating by the stars isn't necessary when you're anchored in the harbor. Nobody needs to rig the sails when the sails have been removed for repairs.

GOD brought new mates aboard to help us in the harbor. They fixed torn sails, patched holes in the hull and pumped the bilge. Good work was done by good people. In the harbor, GOD provided the right people, with the right gifts, to help us get back to doing what we were made to do, sail the open sea, and now, we're heading out to fulfill GOD's purposes again! 

Thank GOD for designing HIS Church for HIS rescue mission.

When our sails are full and we're sailing the open seas, GOD provides.

When it's time for maintenance and repairs, GOD provides. 

In every season of our voyage we have GOD's provision. 

Get on-board.

This ship is setting sail.

 

2 Corinthians 4:6 - For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.