Sinking Ship

I think of the spiritual life that is lived at some depth to be one that comes out of a sinking ship experience.  At a certain point, when our spiritual condition is mediocre or shallow at best, we begin to feel like we are on a sinking ship of life.  My life is sinking.  My first response is to try and fix it myself,  with my power, my strength and talent.  I plug this hole and that hole, but nothing seems to hold for long.  Finally, I give up and surrender.  "Someone help me!" I cry out to the void.  And something happens.  Some power takes me off my sinking ship and puts me onto calm waters and into a small boat with no paddles.  Some power, not my own, seems to be steering my little life boat.  Maybe there are others who encourage me to trust, let go, and pray gratitude.  Nice, huh.  Next, from somewhere, I know not, I find a paddle in the boat.  Why?  Because the smooth waters that protected me at first, will now have the rapids of life.  The boat is still being steered, but now I must cooperate and do some work too.  Pick up my paddle and go to work as the rapids come up.  Don't be afraid.  Trust. Pray in thanksgiving and ask for power to cooperate with my little paddle.  Now life goes on with smooth and rapid.  Real life, but I am no longer sinking in despair.  I am into daily prayer of gratitude.  Next, I actually ask to be of help to others who might be drowning.  Is this not a big change from my egocentric self.  And so my prayer is answered.  I are lifted out of my little life boat and put into a bigger boat that can take on other people.  The power that saved me is now working through me to help others.  At least I have found it so.  There are certainly other ways to grow spiritually, but some of us need to be drowning first.