God Gives You A Life Vest As A License To Do More

My family and I live on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay – a place where if you don’t have anything else, you have a life vest. We’re actually on an estuary that feeds into the bay, which widens into the Atlantic Ocean. We’re well protected from the big waves of the open ocean but during hurricanes we’re not safe from the storm surge. We’re at risk for flooding and more. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to God to be able to daily enjoy the surrounding natural beauty and wildlife by simply looking out my window. Even so, in my opinion, if you don’t get out into the water one way or another you’re really not fully living here. So, a few years ago we got a couple of older model jet skis.

OUR #1 WATER SAFETY RULE: ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE VEST

My teenage son and his buddy, as you might imagine, like to ride the jet skis as much as possible. While my wife’s requirements for the boys are rather extensive: not to wavy, stay far away from other people, don’t go too fast, check back with me often and don’t do anything stupid — I narrow down my mandate to a single expectation – always wear a life vest. It’s sad how many deaths occur each year that could be avoided if people consistently practiced that safety rule.

One of our jet skis, the red one, is a piece of cake. It is easy to ride and next to impossible to tip. The other one, the blue one, is a different story. I liken it to riding a bicycle. You can’t just sit on it. The inertia of forward motion is required. I ride the red one a lot more than the blue one. Once you fall off old blue in deep water, it takes a good bit of muscular strength, coordination and determination to get back on it and resume that forward motion. Additionally this older model jet ski doesn’t stop when you fall off of it. Instead you have to wait for it to circle back around for you.

The mouth of the York River, where we ride jet skis is wide as it opens to the Chesapeake Bay. The waters are relatively calm making it the ideal marine playground to go full throttle. There are some places in the river and the bay that are far from the shore yet still just neck deep or less. Obviously large boats have to closely follow maps to navigate and avoid these shallow spots. In dramatic contrast the channel can be as much as 80 feet deep. I know you can drown in just about any depth of water but knowing that I’m zooming over 80-foot depths is an extra good incentive to wear a life vest.

ENJOY THE THRILL OF FALLING

Once, while I was riding the blue jet ski in the deep water, I hit a wave just right and immediately found myself airborne (without the jet ski). Ok, yes it was quite the thrill AND during the next ten minutes or so that it took me to get back onto the jet ski I was very glad that I was wearing a life vest.

Once back to shore, safe, I passed the vest onto my son’s buddy who just a few minutes later managed to get flipped off the jet ski as well. But for him it was different. He got back on quickly and then did it again and again and again. This strong and agile young man, like my son, can get back onto the jet ski with relative ease. He wasn’t accidentally falling off of it, he was intentionally enjoying the thrill.

For me the life vest is my safety device, my protection against certain death. It Is something secure, not fully appreciated until I most desperately needed it. For these young men, the life vest is a means to go further, to push beyond the usual boundaries. They understand it to be a license to do a lot more — the bold acts that many are afraid to do. For them it is a tool to be continually used.

Kind of like World Champion Lee Stone (pictured in the feature image above and in the video below), my son and his friend learned the art and thrill of falling. The God given life lesson: Get out into the deep, move beyond what is familiar, don’t depend on your safe usual but instead have faith, go all-in, and discover the incredible potential you have in Christ when you hold nothing back from Him.

LIFE LIVED FOR GOD ISN’T “SAFE”

I watched from the beach, while my wife called, “tell them to stop doing that!” I started to see some spiritual insights:

Life lived for God isn’t “safe”. It isn’t meant to be safe. God wants you out deep where you can’t touch and can’t depend on your normal abilities or any of your abilities for that matter. God doesn’t call you to be stupid and lack wisdom — consistently use the protection He gives you. But, God expects you to explore and discover how much more you can do only through Him.

When you do that, don’t become proud, arrogant or confident in your own ability. More importantly look beyond your thrill and expand your view beyond your personal adventure.

You’re surrounded by God’s greatness and power. Beyond being outdoors and in the water, remember that in all areas of life God wants you to depend on Him, grow spiritually and be bold for what He’s calling you to do. When you’re in deep – way over your head – that’s exactly where God wants you to be. It’s there, just below the surface of your most amazing discoveries that you’ll be bouyant in His love and purpose. Be confident in Him.