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A Good Word

How to Survive when Your Life Gets Shipwrecked

Tips for getting safely ashore

Many years ago, I felt as though my life had been shipwrecked. I was a single mom, I'd lost my job, and I'd lost hope that God would ever use me for His kingdom-building purposes. Due to the kindness of a friend, around that time I was able to travel to Malta, the tiny island below the boot of Italy where the apostle Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome. I told my pastor I wanted to get away by myself and get some answers by studying Paul's life. My pastor gave me a hug, said a great prayer for me, and sent me with his blessings.

So, I waved good-bye to my two children, who were headed to church camp with busloads of screeching friends. Then I put on my backpack, grabbed my passport, and boarded a plane. Now don't write to me about (a) how foolish I was to leave the country when my kids could have broken numerous body parts during the usual camp mania, or (b) how dangerous it was for me to travel alone. I was young, and we all survived!

I walked my legs off on that gorgeous, Greek-type island, almost as if I were pacing. I swam in St. Paul's Bay—meditating the entire time, of course! I even got an unexpected lunch invitation to the home of some women whose family member names were Jεsus, Mary, and Josephine—not the Holy Family, but definitely a holy family with sound advice about trusting God! I slept in each morning, catnapped on the beach each afternoon, snoozed before dinner, and in general rested my tired bones and weary mind. I began to feel as though I was safely ashore (Acts 28:1), at least for the time being—and it was a glorious feeling indeed.

As I prayerfully studied the book of Acts on that trip, I was struck by the fact that Paul's journey toward Rome (via Malta) began because he, a Roman citizen, had asked for his pending court case to be heard by the Roman Emperor. Paul was sure of his innocence, so he had appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar he was sent. I also noticed several distinct things in Acts 27 and 28 that Paul did to maintain calm, rational thinking when his ship was sinking and after it sank. For example, he stood among the men and told them to take courage, to stay together, and to eat something for the long haul ahead. In Acts 28:5, he shook off a deadly viper when it clasped onto his hand out of some brushwood he'd gathered for a fire. And Paul ministered to those in need in Malta, praying for them and healing them.

Based on what God showed me from Paul's example, I devised an action plan to help me stay afloat as an unemployed single mom:

Katie's Action Plan for Staying Afloat during Tough Times

1. Make sure of my innocence and/or confess any sin that needs to be confessed and repented. Start with first things first. Getting myself right before the Lord meant I needed to confess my pride, impatience, rage, doubt, and fear—and that was just for starters!
2. Appeal to my Emperor, my Caesar, my God, my only Hope. Run to Him; cling to Him; talk to Him; listen to Him. Expect my Lord to be my Protector, Provider, and Shelter from the storm. Remember that I'm a daughter of the King and that He'll never leave nor forsake me.
3. When my ship seems to be headed for utter mayhem, keep my wits about me. Take courage; stay together with those who can help me survive; and (my favorite suggestion of all!) eat something. Well, actually, the truth behind that last one is to make wise decisions about what I put into my body (God's temple) to help me keep up my strength and stamina during trying times.
4. Shake off the deadly viper, the enemy that would love to attach itself to me to cause evil in my life. Do whatever it takes to rid myself of all such attachments. In my case, this dictated that I flee from the temptation of getting ahead of God's perfect timing, and better yet, of being rude to others because I was having a bad day or bad month.
5. Minister to those in need when I'm hurting. It takes my focus off me and my problems. Lend a helping hand somewhere, anywhere. "Besides," I reasoned, "when would I ever have this much unscheduled time again—time that, if left unstructured, could potentially sink me into a severe depression." It was then that I first got involved in a ministry I was passionate about: helping church members discover the way they're shaped by God to serve.

But would this action plan banish all my blues? No! It simply gave me some practical steps to take so I could learn to survive one day at a time, one crisis at a time, leaning on God. I reasoned if God stayed with Paul through the worst of times, He would see me through as well. And He did!

I landed a simple job working from home. Between that income, cutting back on expenses, and renting rooms in our spacious old house to Olympic-hopeful swimmers, I was able to walk my kids home from elementary school every day (for two years!) to our safe harbor across the street. The bonus gift was that I had enough energy left over at night to write chapters of a book that would be published years later. God knew just what our single-parent family needed most, and He provided it.

Be blessed this month by considering the majesty of the God we serve. He's the God of resurrections, rebirth, and second chances. Don't think about who you are, but whose you are, and you'll get safely to shore—and live to tell others about His power and kindness.

This article first appeared in Today’s Christian Woman 9/30/06 for their Oct/Nov online magazine. http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/special/brazelton/200610.html

*name has been changed

KATIE BRAZELTON, PhD, MDiv, MA, is author of the best-selling Pathway to Purpose for Women series and founder of Pathway to Purpose Ministry (PTPM: www.pathwaytopurposeministry.com). Her ministry trains Christian women internationally as Life Purpose Telephone Coaches® and Intensive, 2-Day, Life Purpose Facilitators. Prior to her book release in 2005, she was Director of Women's Bible Studies, Director of Golden Gate Theological Seminary, and a Licensed Minister, all at Saddleback Church. She can be reached at support@pathwaytopurposeministry.com.

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