Robin of Berkeley - “Watch for the Man in the Boat”

I was on the Rusty Humphries show last Friday, and, as usual, he has given me much food for thought. Rusty wondered what advice I would give to someone who was curious about religious faith.

I responded that the person should go to a church, any church; that the experience would be different than he thinks. I related my positive encounters at church and synagogue — how warm and welcoming were the congregants.

Afterwards, I thought of another piece of advice I would give to the inquisitive person. I’d say, “Watch for the man in the boat.”

This advice comes from a teaching story I once heard, years ago, on a Buddhist retreat. Here is the tale:

There is a major storm coming to a town, and the residents are advised to evacuate. A car drives by a neighbor’s house, and the driver yells out to the neighbor. “Do you need a ride?” The man declines, saying, “God will save me.”

The rain becomes fierce, and now the town is flooded. A neighbor paddles by in a boat. He asks the man if he wants to get onboard. The man answers, “No, God will save me.”

The man’s house becomes so flooded, that he seeks safety up on his roof. A helicopter flies by, with the pilot yelling out, “We’ll lower our ladder so you can get on the copter.” Again, the man declines.

Eventually, the man drowns, and goes before God. The man angrily asks God why He let him die. “I’ve always been a righteous man. I never missed church. Why didn’t you save me?”

God answered, “I sent you a man in a car, and a man in a boat, and a man in a helicopter.”

This story always touches my heart. It reminds me of all the times when we expect God to announce His presence through some grand gesture. In the meantime, we may fail to see Him in everyday life — and in everyday people.

It’s also so easy to feel abandoned by God when life becomes difficult. If things don’t go our way, our faith can waver. And yet one thing I am certain of, with every fiber of my being: God is always there, always with us; we just have to open our eyes to the magic of this world.

Personally, I have so much to be grateful for this holiday season. I am particularly grateful to readers like you. You have helped to save me. You have been the men (and women) in boats.

I’m grateful to you for sharing your insights and knowledge. But most of all, I’m thankful for your kindness. My life has been infinitely changed from knowing you.

On the surface, of course, my life isn’t any easier. If anything, I have greatly complicated it.

But, as I grow each day in my incipient faith, I try to remember that with God, everything is possible. When I’m weak, He will send me a man in a boat. I just need to notice when he comes.

blessings,

Robin of Berkeley

Robin is a recovering liberal, and a licensed psychotherapist who lives in Berkeley, California. The above information is intended for entertainment and educational purposes, rather than to offer any kind of definitive diagnoses.
Visit Robin’s blog.
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