A Safe Haven

One day, this past summer, I was out on Barnegat Bay sailing my sixteen-foot catamaran sailboat. The wind was from the southwest and it was gradually getting stronger, the waves were getting higher and rougher. Up above, I could see dark thunderclouds racing toward me. As things got worse – fast, I decided it was time to turn around and go back home. But, a catamaran, because of its wide stance and two hulls is almost impossible to turn around in rough seas and strong winds. So, instead of coming about (turning 180 degrees), I did the next best thing. I let the sail out so that it would spill some of the wind; this made the boat slow down. Then I changed my course and headed for a nearby sheltered bay that was surrounded and protected by low marsh islands. When I got there the water was much calmer and the wind was not nearly as strong as it was out on the windswept expanse of open bay. Now, I was in a safe haven. It was a place where I could catch my breath, relax, rest a bit, then turn around on the smooth water and easily head out into the storm and sail safely homeward.

You see, to a sailor like me, a safe haven is a harbor, a port, a place of safety and a refuge. As you know, a refuge is a shelter where you have protection from danger or distress; it is a place that provides protection or asylum.

I’ve learned from years of experience that when I’m sailing alone on the bay, I always have to sail in such a way that, in case of an emergency, like a storm, I can get to a safe haven without too much trouble.

As we all go through the days of our lives, we sometimes find that the going is stormy, rough and filled with unexpected troubles. So what do we do? Well, we can, as I did during that storm on the bay, head for a safe haven where we can find refuge for a time. You may ask: “Where is that safe haven?”

There are a number of safe havens around each of us at all times. For example: Prayer is first. After prayer there is the Word of the Lord – the Bible. Then there are fellow Christians who can and will pray for you and do their heartfelt best to help you build up your resources so you can get yourself turned around and out of danger.

Remember, the best way we can be prepared for the storms that may lay ahead of us in life is to have faith in Jesus. We must also trust that He will provide us with His best place of refuge. In fact, I’m sure you already know that Jesus is our only really –
safe haven.