OUT IN A BOAT

MARK 4:1-20

OUT IN A BOAT

“… The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.” Mark 4:1 (NIV)

It’s a familiar parable…the farmer sows the seed…the seed falls here, the seed falls there…I’ve heard it many times, and I think I understand it, so I was a little relieved that it was my scripture assignment for this Lenten Devotion.  But then it struck me, Jesus is out in a boat!  The people are massing on the shore, but he is out in a boat, alone…getting a little distance, taking a little time.

And what I find interesting is reading this scripture in the context of my overcrowded, overburdened daily routine, where there is little time to spare to stop and be still.  Jesus knew about that.  He knew what it was to have crowds of people making demands on his time and teachings.  He knew that a little distance and some breathing room were necessary for him to be an effective teacher.  And so he’s out in a boat.  Wow.  I’d like to be out in a boat. 

Remembering to stop, look, and listen for God’s voice in my life takes effort, but when I do, everything comes easier.  The trick for me is to remember to get out in that boat with Jesus more often and just…breathe!  It’s ok.  I’m a child of God, blessed beyond all measure.  Just focusing on THAT makes everything else more manageable.

Dear God, help me to remember to get out in that boat more often.  Amen.

~ Laurie Powell-Ward