Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done …
I wonder. For all the times the Lord's Prayer is prayed, by me and millions of other folks, how does God’s will get done? Each and every time we say that prayer, at the outset, we delineate a far reaching goal: connecting the coming of the Kingdom with successfully doing our Lord’s will.
Are wishing and willing connected? Where is the tipping point between wishing that something might happen and willing to make it so? To that end, I believe we each have parts to play, key roles, in the fulfillment of our Maker’s master plan.
Some years ago, I visited my parents while they lived in their old house at the end of 52nd Street in Virginia Beach. Across the street from the house is Crystal Lake, where my Dad kept a sailboat moored. There was a nice breeze blowing and he invited me to go for a sail with him. Once we were underway out on the lake he asked if I’d like to take a turn at the helm. “Sure!” I replied as I clambered aft to the tiller.
As I sat back there, tiller in hand, suddenly I was unsure about what had to happen next. Where was the wind that was keeping us moving? How does one stay in its flow? “Mind your point of sail,” my father kept admonishing me. “Right, Dad,” I replied. “Uh, what’s a point of sail?”
“Look off the bow of the boat; what do you see?” he said. “Just a bunch of trees on the far side of the lake,” I replied. “That is not specific enough to be helpful. Pick one that's distinctive and head for it,” he suggested. “What if I pick the wrong one?” I said.
“There is no wrong one – just make your choice. That establishes your heading. Once you have a direction, then you can make whatever adjustments necessary to keep you on course. Understand?” he asked.
“I get it!”
And thus I received my first sailing lesson, plus, an incredibly valuable life lesson. Picking and choosing are integral components in navigating the waters of our existence. And as God’s children, we are endowed with the capacity of free will. This capacity can be used for good, or ill – it’s up to us to decide.
This responsibility can be heavy at times. At other times, it can be exhilarating.
I have not seen God’s final chart or plan for the Kingdom, but I believe we must move on anyway, often sailing by the seat of our pants. When it comes to taking action, the only tell-tale on which I can rely is this: “Will this build up the Kingdom? Or, tear it down?” In God’s grand scheme, am I saying yes? Or no?
I’m wishing for yes. And God willing, may it be so.
Dad had a Rhodes 19’ day sailer he named “Naughty Gal.”