The Canoe

I am in a canoe, paddling up a stream. The stream is running through a system of caves. As I progress the stream becomes narrower and narrower. It becomes increasingly more difficult to use the paddle, as it keep hitting the walls, and eventually it is smashed to pieces when I try to use it to get through a particularly tight spot. The current quickens, and I am carried along at a frightening pace. As the cave walls get closer and closer, even the canoe begins to look a little wide. Right enough, it begins to smash into the rocks and disintigrates around me. Now I am sitting on the surface of the water, just being carried along by the ever quickening current. I should logically smash into the rocks, but all of a sudden I am plunged into a pool in the sea cave. It's pretty sweet.

Right now we have a reasonable amount of room to manoeuvre in our own ability and strength. The calling of God is still reasonably general, but is becoming more specific day by day. As he speaks prophetically into our lives to call us on in an ever intensifying ministry, our lives become more and more focussed. Our own abilities don't work any more, they will be smashed on the rock if we try to use them. Even the structures we trusted to carry us in our ministry will be destroyed. Just when it looks like we have no hope and will surely perish, we will be released in a new fruitfulness and the fulfilment of our life calling.

I believe this is not a once off event. The Lord will continually call us on into ever increasing depths of his spirit, and we will have to go through the same process. Maybe we'll learn to trust the current and throw our paddles out. Maybe we'll just jump right in to the water...