Not The Same Boat

I heard this saying twice in the past week, and it has really got me thinking. Like you, I’ve been checking on my friends, family and those I lead. Listening to people’s stories, it is incredible to see the different ways COVID-19 has impacted, and is affecting, those I know. Some have lost family/friends or have loved ones hospitalized they cannot visit while others are hospitalized and alone. Some people don’t have a job or have drastically cut hours while others feel over-worked because they are “essential”. Some are feeling depressed being out of their routine, separated from human interaction or their support system while trying to battle addictions. We face the same storm, but our boats are not the same...the challenges we face are unique.
   
All this got me to thinking about how often life in general is stormy and people on a boat different from mine are struggling in ways I don’t know about. How many times do people need grace extended even if they may be “as prickly as a prickly pear” because of the things they are going through? Sometimes I have no patience for prickly people because of the things I am experiencing on my own boat, but when I catch a glimpse of what is going on in their boat, mine doesn’t seem so bad. Sometimes I see people taking on water, but it doesn’t seem that bad. “Just suck it up” I sometimes want to say when I’m dealing with my own issues, but what I don’t see is the crack in the bottom of their boat about to take them down.
   
The Apostle Paul shared this advice: Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
   
I don’t know what life looks like on your boat right now, but I know in the midst of it all each day you are selflessly serving others. Thank you for treating others as more important than yourself. I’m praying for peace on your boat this week in the midst of the storm we are all navigating together. 
   
Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob