While I am not a sailor myself, I’ve spent enough time sailing on boats with experienced sailors to know and understand a few things.
Like how important it is to keep the deck clean and clear.
And how you need to take good care of ropes and lines, keeping them untangled and sorted.
And how it’s critical to be paying attention and be prepared to move and act at a given moment, in order to catch the wind just right, so you can ride it when she blows!
I find sailing to be a helpful metaphor when thinking about grace. While we are not the Source of Grace, we can choose to cooperate with Grace when She appears. We can choose to do our part in being ready to act, to move in a specific direction, to make a certain decision that helps to bring about more healing, more wholeness, in ourselves and in our communities. Or not.
From my own experience, taking intentional, regular time to reflect and evaluate is part of “cooperating with Grace”. My work with BUILD and learning the disciplines of community organizing have been particularly helpful in developing a regular practice of reflecting and evaluating.
After every event or action, as leaders we huddle up and take the time to ask and answer, “In one word, how do you feel?” “In one sentence, what worked well?” “What could have been improved?” “Did we get the ‘reaction’ we were intending, with this ‘action’? If so, why? If not, why not?”
Just like a good team meets in the locker room or on the field with their coach to reflect on the game they just played, so too can we as members of “Team Jesus” be intentional about incorporating the regular practice of self- and group-reflection, in order to be better prepared to “catch the wind” and “cooperate with Grace” the next time She appears; the next time we have the opportunity to be agents of healing and Shalom.
So my invitation for you today is to choose to cooperate with Grace by taking some intentional time to reflect on and evaluate a recent occurrence in your life, that presents the opportunity to learn and grow.
May you be prepared to ride that wind the next time she blows!
Love,
Cristina