Lifting our Sails

Two friends stood beside each other looking out at the open sea. It was a bright, clear day and the wind was blowing gently from the north. One of them looked over and realized the other had disappeared. It was only moments later that he looked at the dock below and saw his friend lifting the sail and heading out toward the sea.

This simple tale reminded me of the sacred dance waiting for each of us. The world and our lives lie clear and bright before us and it’s sometimes tempting to stand and gaze, imagining what could be. But the wind and the sea are waiting. They were given to us not only to admire and appreciate but to join.

The wind invites us to lift our sails, and, as they fill, our lives move in mysterious ways. Slowly we head into the seas and discover things we can’t see from the shore. Lifting one’s sails and heading out into the sea (in whatever way you conceive that) is harder than remaining on the shore, but it is only when we do our part that we experience what it means to “dance” with God.