July 28, 2024
• Rev. Jevon Caldwell-Gross
Isabella
The year was 2022. We were at Universal Studios and it was a typical hot day in Florida. So we set our sights on a water ride that we could all enjoy. We stumbled upon the ride Jurassic Park. (Slide/pic) I need to preface this by saying that we were with our very young daughter at the time. But she is extremely tall for age and met the height requirements. So I looked online to see what to expect and sure enough, it had a sizable drop. I wasn’t just nervous for myself, but I was scared for her. The ride was pretty calm. Dinosaur noise here. Animated statues there. It was that a grown man or 4 year older couldn’t handle. But then we slowly started to move towards a cliff and I knew it was coming. She had no idea. She was laughing having the time of her life. But I didn’t know how to tell her she was about to be traumatized!
Well after the ride, I tried to console and tell her what a good job she did. I even tried to give her a high five! But this was the look on her face. (Picture). She wasn’t having it! She pushed my hand away and gave me the silent treatment until we got her some ice cream. I think that’s how we respond to God even after we made it through the ups and downs. Making it through the ups and downs, isn’t always so glamorous.
I imagine that’s what the men in our text felt like as they too tried to navigate the ups and down of their own journey. For some this is a familiar story. Our text is really a part two of the sermon we did to start this series. Remember Paul is on a ship with other prisoners heading towards Rome. What started off as a simple voyage quickly turned hazardous and life threatening. In fact, Paul tells them that if they continue they will in danger of losing their lives and the ship. They don’t heed sound advice. Unfortunately they get caught in what in what turns out to be one of the worst storms they have experienced and the condition of the ship has been comprised.
Don’t neglect what nourishes you.
By the time we get our text, Paul is urging that they to eat if they want to make it and survive. They have been trying to keep the boat afloat for almost two weeks and they aren’t making any headway. In fact we learn in verse 20, “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved”. And that was on day 3. This is around day 14! They are tired. They are exhausted from trying to keep something afloat thats bound to sink. It’s exhausting trying to make something work that’s run its course. You could feel the tension on the ship. They are anxious. They are scared. They are tired. They’ve lost their appetite. This voyage has gotten the best of them.
And their response is indicative to what happens to so many of us. When we are overwhelmed and anxious, too often we start neglecting the very things that nourish us. We relinquish the things essential to survival. We have to be careful because neglect is subtle. One day we look up and realize that we haven’t had anything to eat. Haven’t been to church in a while. Haven’t exercised in several days. Haven’t made time for ourselves. Haven’t talked to God. Haven’t made time for hobbies. Haven’t done anything that brings us joy. Haven’t kept up with our physical appearance. We neglect what has and could nourish us. Here’s the critical question that these men are inviting us to ask, What have I been neglecting that my mind, body, or soul desperately needs.” (Slide)The most important thing you can do for you is take care of yourself even when the outcome seems to be compromised. Paul says, you need to eat if you want to survive! If you want make it!
I get it. That’s easier said than done. That’s why in the middle of the storm, Paul took bread, broke it, blessed it, and gave thanks. What’s Paul doing? Eating. Nourishing himself. Not physically but spiritually. For Paul gratitude becomes the very thing that he needs to survive when the ship Is compromised.
Grateful for a God that has promised they would make it Rome. Grateful for a God that brought someone like him to preach the gospel in different cities and different churches. Grateful for a God that would choose someone like him. Gratitude is not just reserved for safe shores. But it’s relevant and applicable when we can keep our head above water.
They are not going to make it if they don’t attend to themselves! And here’s the challenge. Attending to the ship is not the same thing as attending to what you need to survive. Just because you are feeding others doesn’t mean you are eating. We are great at caring for others, being there for others, keeling the ship afloat, keeping the ship going, but when was the last time you ate. You are not a martyr because you chose the ship over your own health. What do you need to do in this season of your life that nourishes you?
When Things Fall Apart
Paul new they needed to eat because of what happened next. By the time they get their bearings, it’s to late. They crash into the shore and the boat completely falls apart!
This must have been hard for them to deal with because no one gets on a ship thinking that it’s going to fall apart. No one says, “I do” and thinks this will one day fall apart. No one says yes to their dream job and thinks that one day this just isnt going to work out. No one follows their dream only to have their hopes dashed. No one join a church, steps out on faith, answers a call from God and thinks they won’t make it.
Sooner or later, we come to the realization that the things or experiences we thought would carry us aren’t going to make it. This is really hard for people of faith. Because the unspoken belief and the misguided assumption is that God will fix everything. If we just pray hard enough. If we just live a good life. If we do all the things that faith tells us to do that will be glue that holds it all together. But their predicament forces them to deal with the harsh reality that despite their deepest desires and long awaited dreams, their ship had finally fallen apart. This vessel that had already been through many other storms wasn’t going to make it through this one.
This is where many people get discouraged. We make assumptions about our future survival based on what happens to the ships we thought would carry us. As if our survival was intricately tied together. We don’t think we can’t make it without the ship. We don’t think we can experience joy without the ship. We’ve convinced ourselves there isn’t any life outside of the ship if it falls apart.
But can I tell you the truth.? There will be things in our lives that will not work out. It won’t work out how we planned. It won’t work out how we predicted. There will be certain situations that God won’t fix. Their will certain ships that God won’t save. There will various ships in your life that will run its course.
Just because the ship won’t make it doesn’t mean you won’t. (Slide). The destruction of the ship doesn’t mean an end to your journey or joy. You can survive what the vessel could not.
Laanding on Broken Pieces
But just as Paul predicted, they all made it safely to the shores! They didn’t all get there in the same manner.
On the shore, there were two kinds of swimmers. One group that arrived safely to the shores were those that knew how to swim. So when the ship fell apart they just swam to safety. so they just swam their way to the shores. They didn’t need any help. There didn’t
The other group made it on broken pieces …..because they couldn’t swim. They couldn’t rely on getting there how everybody else got there. They were able hold on the pieces of the ship and safely make it not in spite of the ship crashing but because it fell apart. What felt like something that was falling apart was actually things coming together (slide). The ship didn’t make but they did. The integrity of the ship couldn’t make through the storm, but they made it. God was to able salvage a few pieces of the ship for those that couldn’t swim. And is that not a picture of Gods grace? The broken pieces are the acts of grace that God sends to keep us afloat when life has fallen apart.
But let’s be honest, what is sent as an act of grace seems like a curse or a burden to bear. It’s hard when you started with a ship and ended up with broken pieces. We are left with the remnants of what used to be and what could have been. And it’s hard to embrace our own survival because all we see is what we lost. All we see is a broken and battered ship. That doesn’t feel like we made it. That doesn’t feel like a win. It still feels like a loss!
A win sounds like the Jefferson Theme song. It was an African American sit-com that air in the 70 and 80s about a family that felt like they made it. The lyrics celebrated
Well we're movin' on up, to the east side
To a deluxe apartment in the sky
Movin on up
To the east side
We finally got a piece of the pie
Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill
Took a whole lotta tryin'
Just to get up that hill
Now we're up in the big leagues
Gettin' our turn at bat
As long as we live, it's you and me baby
There ain't nothin wrong with that
Well we're movin on up
To the east side
To a deluxe apartment in the sky
Movin on up
To the east side
We finally got a piece of the pie.
Now that’s a win!
But these men have to redefine the definition of win. They have to accept that in order to make it, they will not emerge with everything they started. They had to be ok with broken pieces. If given the choice, we all want to arrive to safety on an undamaged, untattered, unbroken ship. We would love for every aspect of our lives to still be intact. Would you rather be sinking on a ship that’s whole or safe on shore with broken pieces. Would you rather have it all and be sinking or have joy and make it with whatever you have.
Refine the win. It’s hard in a culture obsessed with thriving and moving on up.
Here’s what redefining a win can look like. A few days ago, the men’s USA basketball team faced the men’s team from South Sundan. It was expected to be a blow out. USA team was packed with superstars like Lebron James and Steph Curry and some of the best players in the world. The team from South Sedan only had two lesser known NBA basketball players on their team. Their basketball team was actually making their Olympic debut this year. Their country just gained their independence in 2011. Everything was stacked against them. The odds were not in their favor. And yet at one point in the game they were up by 16 points. And the United States Basketball team only one by 1 point from a last second shot by Lebron James. Their was so much national pride because of their performance. Did they lose the game, according to the final score, yes! But did they really lose? Every win isn’t shown on the scoreboard. Some wins need to be redefine.
Sometimes the win feels like a loss. Sometimes the loss feels a win. To know that these men made it sailing through a storm, to know they made it when they couldn’t see the sun or stars for days, to know they made it, to know they made it when they didn’t eat for days, to know they made it when the ship fell apart, the know they made when one of the guards wanted to kill the prisoners, to know they made it even though the cut the ropes to the life rafts, to know that some of the men made that couldn’t even swim and landed on broken pieces. To me that’s a win. There are some seasons when you have redefine the win. Sometimes the win is that you had a enough strength to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes the win is that you showed up. Sometimes the win is that you didn’t give up. Sometime the win is that you can still smile, laugh, and have even a semblance of joy. The win is that you finished. Doesn’t matter if you came in first or dead last. Doesn’t matter if you got gold of walked away empty handed. The win is that considering all that you’ve gone through, all that you’ve experienced, all the storms you’ve went through, all of the things stacked against you, all of the things that have fallen apart, all of the dark days, all of the times when you wanted to give up you are still here and you made it! That’s the win!
They made it! That’s the win.
If you are here today that means you made it. Ups and downs, you made. Hands up or holding in for dear life. Loved it or despised it. Ship is whole or we’ve been kept by the broken pieces of what could have been. None of that really matters. You made it. Reason to be grateful. Life is a roller coaster, the only win that really matters is getting through it the best way we can.