Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
My son and I leaned over the rail of a ferry headed for Canada. We spotted a half dozen otherworldly creatures. Black and white Dall’s porpoises took turns riding the bow wake. Their torpedo shaped bodies exploited the bulge of glassy current displaced by the ship’s prow. This went beyond survival instincts into the realm of animal fun.
Jesus rode the bow wake. Like the porpoises, he knew a secret place that launched him forward. It was time spent in prayer in the wilderness—that was his bow wake. It’s where he surfed with the heart of God. He went there frequently.
Now it’s my turn to navigate life. Jesus and the porpoises have shown me where to find power. It’s hidden in a glassy bulge at the bow of life’s churning mass. Only in this sacred place do I know Jehovah’s irresistible power, and find rest from mans’ tiresome effort. The name of this secret place is prayer.
It’s absurd to think that insignificant me can plant myself in God’s path. How preposterous to believe I can ride in his might without toil on my part. And yet, there it is, this glassy, surging bubble of prayer. I’m invited to plunge in headlong and discover the fun.
Prayer: Father above, let me ride your bow wake often.