On a beach vacation a couple of years ago, my husband and I took a little sailboat for a short afternoon cruise. Neither of us is a nautical expert. I was confident I remembered the basics from sailing on a lake in Florida 20 years ago. My husband (wisely) insisted we take a short “basics of sailing” orientation before heading out to the open ocean.
The basics were: how to handle the rudder, how to turn with the waves, always duck when the sail shifts. Also: Wear a life jacket. Avoid the open ocean past the bay. And something about zig-zagging rather than going in a straight line.
Initially, we got our boat off the shore. We turned, the sail shifted. We ducked. Somehow the sail kept shifting back and forth, zig-zagging wasn’t working (we disagreed on exactly what zig-zag meant), and we were fighting the wind. Finally, our sail refused to catch the wind. We couldn’t tell which way the wind was blowing. Our boat wasn’t moving, and we were tired of ducking under the boom. We were frustrated.
We stopped.
Our boat was staying in one place and the current was not strong. We could still see the marina. We floated in one place for several moments, getting our bearings and letting our rising anxiety subside.
In the stillness, we could sense the wind’s direction. We could see where we were, where we wanted to be, and where we had come from. We decided, together, to adjust the sail, turn the rudder, and try a different way.
The different way felt better. We finally caught the wind! We learned how to sense and harness the wind’s power and turn our sailboat so that it could work with the wind, rather than trying to control the wind or work against that powerful breeze. Eventually, we circled and made our way back to the safety of the harbor.
The Holy Spirit is often depicted as the wind. When I think of this week’s message of Hope in the Midst of Surrender, I realize that, sometimes, letting go of control helps change our perspective. And surrendering to the Holy Spirit can feel daunting, overwhelming, excruciating. But as we learned that day, it is better to work with the Spirit, than to continue striving in a different direction.
Surrender to the Spirit does not mean we will always end up prosperous or safe. It means that we are choosing to enter a wild, unpredictable dance where our spirit unfolds, responds, and co-creates with the emerging Kingdom of God. There may be pain, brokenness, and sorrow that affects us—but we will remain grounded in God’s love. I would rather go somewhere unpleasant with God than somewhere lovely without God.
Julian of Norwich said, “If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who is always kept safe, I know nothing of it, for it was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in falling and rising again we are always kept in that same precious love.”
It’s that precious Love that compels me, that allows me to surrender my pride, that pulls me into territory where I am deeply uncomfortable.
I hope that you will embrace this Lenten message series by Pastor Annette and Pastor Allee, as they preach this week about Jesus’ surrender and the Hope that we can find in Jesus.
Blessings,
Staci Plonsky
P.S. This month we are celebrating our partnership with Zoe Empowers, our mission partner of the month for March. In 2019 Suntree UMC committed to sponsoring an empowerment group for a three-year cycle. The 99 children in this group are vulnerable, mostly orphans. They have endured appalling trauma in their short lives. And yet, this mission teaches these children that God has always and will always love them; that their lives matter, that they can be assets to their community. As we approach the mid-month mark of our partnership spotlight, I am so moved by our church community’s enthusiastic support of this mission. I believe the Holy Spirit inspired this commitment, and I am so grateful for the sacrificial giving you are demonstrating. Don’t forget that we have sweet Easter basket additions as tokens of gratitude for your supporting this mission! Email
to reserve yours for pick up in the Church Office or at the drive-thru pick-up from 12:15-2pm on Sunday, March 28. 