The Doldrums
I woke up this morning feeling so bluesy! I was up half the night with a tooth ache… and worrying over the money and surgery required to fix said tooth. So as my eyes focused on a new day, my soul began with a resounding… sigh.
Ho-hum....
Have you ever had that kind of start? The days where your get up and go never even bothered to get up!! It’s still in the bed… where you wish you could be! The sun was shining outside my windows, but inside there was a storm brewing. I texted my husband as I do at the start of most days. Instead of wishing him a good day and hoping he slept well, I simply stated, “I’ve got the doldrums today.” Being a “words” girl, that got my curiosity going. What are the “doldrums” exactly and more to the point, where on earth did that funny word come from. TO THE GOOGLE CAVE, BAT GIRLS! I found that the doldrums is a maritime term (a sailor term) for an actual location (also called the International Convergence Zone or the ITCZ) just off of the tropics where it is so hot that the air only rises (because as you know, heat rises) and doesn’t cool and come back down for about 30 miles north and south of the equator. What does that mean to the doldrums? It means there are no winds!! It’s scorching hot with the stillest waters you’ve ever witnessed. Fittingly, it has been nicknamed the desert of the ocean. During the days of sailing ships, who relied completely on wind power to fill their sails and push them around the globe, having to sail in the doldrums meant a very long trip full of delays and surprises. Because you see, in the doldrums there are only two types of weather. The stillness that caused sailing ships to get stuck on those windless waters for days, even WEEKS!! Or hurricanes. Yep, you read that right. Almost 90% of the Atlantic's hurricanes occur in the doldrums. Of course, I had to share my findings with my hubby. Yeah, we’re that nerdy of a couple. He too, was surprised by it’s meaning. Then, as typical Tim, he had to start with the puns. “No wind in your sails, huh?” Was there ever a better word to describe a case of the blues? I had no inspiration. I was powerless to do what I knew needed to get done. Even the writing of this post was sent to the sidelines. “I told my husband, "I know there’s something in all of this (the information I had just researched) but I just don’t have the energy to figure it out.” I knew there were parallels to the Christian walk, but that took too much effort and brain power. I did manage to crack open my Bible and take in a few sentences. Then a few more… and before I knew it, I had gone through two very long chapters. I was feeling a little better, but the human doldrums is an environment ripe with selfishness, pettiness and just being plain EXTRA… as the cool kids say. I found myself thinking about poor little, ole Christy. Before the doldrums struck, I had been making a point to reach out more often to the people God had placed in my life to be an encouragement. I call them my flock. Before I found myself in the doldrums, I had been texting and checking in on a regular basis, praying for them and their situations. Trying to make their lives a little happier by just knowing someone is thinking about them. OOOHHH, but not today. Today I found myself wondering where were MY cheerleaders?! Where was MY encouragement?! Why has no one bothered to text me and check in with me? Before I was able to go too far down that pity path, my precious Father patted my shoulder and leaned in closer to whisper into my heart. He drew near so that only He and I heard. “Now, now Christy. Don’t go down that dangerous path. You know better. You know it will only lead to more selfishness and more pain.” With just a touch of inspiration from the Lord, he blew upon the still waters of my soul and pushed me through the doldrums onto the rushing waters of purpose, once again. We all go through those days where there just doesn’t seem to be a stirring of our spirits. Where all we’re able to do in our power is drift aimlessly upon the doldrums, waiting for some purpose, waiting for inspiration to hit, waiting for a puff of hope to once again fill our sails. Well, praise the Lord, we don’t have to wait around for the winds to decided to push us into a more positive situation. We can rely on our great Captain who sails by his own power and of his own accord. Who quiets restless seas and brings about storms when need be. He walks on the waters of those still doldrums and calls for us to come. Come to my Word, come to my presences in prayer. Don’t look at the situations around you, just stay focused on me. I hear the words of a hymn on the gentle breeze, as it fills my sails with hope… When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on his unchanging face; In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil…. I pray for you today, my friend, that on the day you wake to find that your soul has awakened in the middle of the ocean’s desert, you’ll be reminded of where to find hope, where to find peace, where to find solace.
On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.
And be able to defeat the doldrums.
