“Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.” — James 3:4
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If you’ve ever watched sailing in an event like the Olympics or even sailed yourself for fun or competition, you’ll know that it contains many metaphorical lessons that can be translated over to everyday life. Over the last year, I’ve been trying to watch a few more obscure sports like sailing in hopes of discovering some of these lessons for myself, and a couple have definitely stood out:
1. Stay patient; wait for a favorable wind-shift.
In sailing, you are at the mercy of whatever direction the wind is moving, and it is up to you to adjust your sails accordingly if you wish to continue going forward. When the winds are behind you, you will make quicker progress. If they are in front of you, the movement will be slower. If you have calm waters and you aren’t going anywhere, it’s a good chance to take stock and do things you otherwise cannot do when under way. Ask any sailor, and they’ll tell you that even in the moments you aren’t making the progress you want, you learn really quickly to not worry about it because the wind will do what it wants and you can’t go anywhere until it picks back up. Patience becomes a great virtue. You learn to wait for the winds to shift instead of getting anxious over the progress you’re not making.
2. Be aware of those who will try to disturb your wind and slow you down.
Especially in racing, sailing individuals and teams know that everybody is jockeying for the same space and the same wind so they can make it to the said destination as fast as possible. But part of the gamesmanship of this is that teams will intentionally try to get in close enough so as to disturb your wind and try to slow down your progress, making it more difficult for you to maintain your speed and direction.
Isn’t this often the case in life, too? Some people’s only way of getting anywhere in life is to go around trying to stop or slow the progress of other people. You need to be aware of who these people are in your life and adjust your course accordingly. Sometimes you need to change direction slightly or maybe try to pass or go around them. Make whatever move necessary in order to find that undisturbed space for yourself, that place of peace where you can simply focus on your own race.
We’re all sailing our own journeys through various waters and various elements. Some of us are sailing in fairly smooth, calm conditions and it’s a season of recalibrating for us. Others are in the thick of the storm — the winds are heavy, the waves are high and choppy. Whichever place we find ourselves, both of these lessons apply.
And the greatest thing to know is that He who rules the waves with a word, who slept through a storm, and who even walked the waters in real time is here in our boat with us. His Spirit is guiding us and is present with us in both the seasons of waiting and the seasons of progress. This allows us to operate from a place of peace, regardless of what is happening around us.
Sail on.
— Katherine Singer
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