Religion: A Pastor Ponders

Waiting for the tide

By Pastor William Jenkins

August 10, 2006

One summer while on the southern coast of England Reverend Malcolm Groom was driving me to a meeting of the Circuit Preachers in Chichester.

As we passed over a bay bridge, I noticed there was no water in the bay and all the boats were stranded in the mud. I commented to Rev. Groom that this was a dumb place to launch a boat. He laughed and informed me that the tide was out.

Familiar with the Gulf Coast I wanted to know, “If there is a tide, where’s the water?” He grinned with amusement toward his foreign passenger and answered, “Oh, about a mile south of the roadway. Things will be different when we come back this way.” (This I had to see.)

Three hours later we crossed over the same bridge and, sure enough, the boats were floating in ample water. The tide was coming in. We observed the same phenomena at Basham and other places along the English Channel. Each time we saw boats sitting in the mud I would think, “They’re waiting for the tide.”

It occurred to me that life is often like those boats…sitting in the mud, waiting for the tide. When you find yourself in the dry basins of life remember three things:

1. A boat in a dry basin is no less a boat than one in deep water. It may not be in its intended habitat, but it is still a boat with inherent potential.

2. Jesus keeps company with us when our boat is grounded. He doesn’t say, “Well, this boats not going anywhere so I’m bailing out.” On the oceans or in the muddy basin Jesus is with you.

3. The tide always comes in. Just as there is a natural law which never fails to bring in the tide, so there is a spiritual law that never fails to bring an abundance of buoyancy to those who wait patiently with the Lord.

Ponder this: When the tide is out, do not abandon hope.

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

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