The temptation was overwhelming. Jan and I were at the San Diego Municipal Docks on Shelter Island this week. It was good to see old friends and make new ones. I was able to help a new friend, William, a sailor from Alaska, repair one of his sails. We really hit it off and I discovered he was looking for two more crew members to help sail his beautiful 50 foot sailboat to the South Seas. As we put the repaired sail back up, William turned to me and asked, “Well, how about it? Can you and Jan break away for six months? You could fly home from Tahiti. I’m leaving in four days.” Sigh. Warm clear water, swaying palms and desert islands. Sigh.
As I write this column sitting in McDonald’s, reminder alarms are going off on my phone and messages are flooding in on my laptop. People are rushing to work balancing hot coffee, cell phones, and egg McMuffins. It’s a hectic world and I’m just as guilty as anyone of being distracted by it and I’m far too busy.
Sigh. Tahiti. Then it dawned on me, the same thing can be said about our spiritual lives. Jesus is inviting us to join him on a grand adventure – destination heaven! Life with a capital L! But I’m distracted, too busy. I make excuses for not putting God first. Someday maybe I’ll find time. Someday I’ll slow down and focus on spiritual matters – after the kids are gone, after I pay off the house, after I retire. Someday. Someday. Sigh.
“Today, if you hear his voice” the Hebrew writer exhorts us (Hebrews chapters 3 and 4). Today if you hear his voice, enter the kingdom. Today if you hear his voice, start living, really living. Today is the day! Don’t wait! Don’t put it off. I’m going to do it. Will you join me? Please forward my mail to heaven. Let the adventure begin! (I’m still considering Tahiti.)