Waypoints: Reflections on Life's Journey

By The Rev. Canon Michael E. Hesse

Headline news is disturbing; community tragedies are unhinging; individual trials are challenging. How does one make sense of life in the midst of a complex creation? Fr. Mike Hesse observes his world from a Christian perspective on many issues, corporate and personal, and offers a way to cope. Oswald Chambers says, "Yet there is no circumstance of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus." We are called to be victorious in and through our circumstances, understanding that God has them all in hand. Inside are over a hundred different columns, written over fifteen years of ministry in Destin, Florida. It is hoped that readers will find encouragement, truth, and love from the Lord and renewed stamina for tomorrow's adventures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798885400848

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Waypoints

Reflections on Life's Journey

The Rev. Canon Michael E. Hesse

ISBN 979-8-88540-083-1 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-084-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by The Rev. Canon Michael E. Hesse

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Waypoints: Navigational Points en Route to a Destination

The Value of a True Heading Keeps Faith on Course

Structure

Preparation Makes a Difference

Why Fishermen?

Culling

Only Drowning Men See Him

Tossed To and Fro

A Vision

Wiping the Slate Clean

Insignificant

Bait

Life's Storms

The Anchor

Plugging the Leaks

Why?

Entropy

Of Boat Fires and Terri Schiavo

The Church in Destin

As the Docks Go, So Goes Destin

Healing of Memories

Reflections on a Hurricane

The Voice of the Lord

Inspection Time

Life

Fishing for Men

Life in Slow Motion

Predator

The Osprey

Immersion

Cobia Season

Do Not Be Anxious

Whatever It Takes

The New Boat

Signs of the Times

Recognition

Discipline

First Priority

Why We Bless

The Wonders of Creation

Tough Times

Doing Your Homework

The Storm

One Church

Listening

Greater Love

July 4

A Case for a Positive Outlook

Fear

Man and His Environment

The Calling

Dry Dock

A New Dawn

Convergence

The Tower of Babel

Riptides

Designed for Work

Teach Your Children Well

Where Two or Three Are Gathered

Commitment

Ah, Temptation!

Luke, My Constant Companion

The Power of One

For All the Saints

Enthusiasm

Living Water

According to Your Word

Choosing Wisely

Rethinking Solo

Getting Back Up

Anticipation

The Siren's Song

Ship of State

Giving Thanks

Calming the Storm

Hosanna in the Highest

A Threefold Cord

Peace

Faith Believes the Impossible

Following God's Moral Compass

The Quest

David and Goliath

Living Water

In Whom There Is No Guile

Small Boat, Big Sea

Changing Our Sphere of Influence

Child of God

Hang Loose

Baptism

Salt of the Earth

God Is Not Surprised

What Retirement?

A Peculiar People

The Lure

Heaven Wept

Drifting

Being Teachable

Recognizing Evil

Perfect Freedom

Sacrifice

Springs of Water

God is Good

In Christ Alone

Fools for Christ

The Delight of Your Heart

Disappointment

Who Are You?

Some Reflections on Suffering

Fishers of Men

It Didn't Begin with a Bath

38 Minutes of Panic

Even at the Grave We Make Our Song

Transformation

The Mission

Going through the Daily Spiritual Checklist

Demand Better from Those Elected to Lead

Honoring Joseph Bors

How Far Will You Go?

It Is a Matter of Life and Death

Making All Things New

Waypoints

Fearful to Fearless

Remembering

Afterword

About the Author

Foreword

In my younger years, I collected baseball cards, but over the long haul, I've become quite the T-shirt collector. Most anytime I visit another city or state, I come home with a T-shirt. Whether it be a shirt with a bright-yellow taxi on it from New York City or a big black bear on a shirt from Montana, I like to collect T-shirts. Gives me something to remind me of the time spent there. I also have quite a collection of T-shirts from the University of Alabama, my alma mater. But most days, this thirty-five-year-plus reporter for The Destin Log can be found around town wearing a Destin Fishing Rodeo T-shirt. The Rodeo is the longest running tradition in our not-so-small-anymore fishing village, having celebrated seventy-three years on the water this past year.

As a matter of fact, a couple of years ago, my Rodeo T-shirt collection had gotten so big I had several of them sewn into a quilt. Some of the shirts had become ragged or no longer fit but still carried good memories. And this is what you'll find in this book written by my friend, The Rev. Mike Hesse, a collection of good memories or stories wrapped up and tied with a ribbon of his faith. Some of the stories or columns may be old but still bring back fond memories.

Hesse, who served as a pastor for more than twenty-four years in the Destin community, is actually a father to four and grandfather to eight. However, he's still beloved around town as Father Mike and still leads a Bible study for the fisherman once a week. Father Mike once told me not too long ago that his vision for Destin was simple.

Win the docks for Jesus, Hesse said. The idea is to make Christian men, and a Christian man is a Christian in every area of his life, not just down on the boat but to his family and to his neighbors.

Not only do the fishermen speak highly of him, but also just the mention of his name brings a smile to most faces. Capt. TJ George of the charter fishing boat High Cotton once described Father Mike as everything a father is supposed to be. He's solid, unwavering, kind, and loving.

I've never attended one of Father Mike's Bible studies, although I've been invited, but I have heard the man speak. For years, Father Mike brought the message at the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Destin. It wasn't a sermon like you'd hear from the pulpit on a Sunday morning, but mostly it was a message of hope and blessing for the year ahead for our fishing fleet.

And I always found it fascinating that Father Mike would come in his priestly robe wearing a baseball cap. That's just the kind of guy he is, down-to-earth.

During 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the country and everyone was locked down, Father Mike and others made sure the fishermen and others had an Easter sunrise service on the water. I sat in the wheelhouse of the charter boat Lady Em, while Father Mike brought a message of hope over a VHF radio to the more than thirty boats gathered in Destin harbor that Easter morning. I can even see him now, standing with arms raised and singing praises and shouting to others as they passed by after the service.

Father Mike is the kind of man who would go down south and travel ten-hours to pick up a shark mount with you for the new Destin High School, and he'd be happy to do it. He was even there at the school for the unveiling of the mako shark, standing in the fountain to take the tarp off.

Over the years, Father Mike has touched so many lives in our little fishing community, building memories and collecting stories. I hope you take the time to read his collection of stories that are sure to bless.

Tina Harbuck

Managing Editor of The Destin Log and Friend of Father Mike

Preface

Waypoints

Navigational points en route to a destination.

Believers know our destination. In the words of the old gospel hymn, we are bound for glory. But we have not yet arrived. Each of us is still on a journey. Some of us have traveled far toward our destination. Some less. Every one of us has his or her journey marked by points along the way which have served to form and fashion us into who we are. My life's journey began in 1948, so there have been a lot of navigational points which the Lord has used to mold me, and it looks like there will be more before he calls me home. In the midst of that journey was a sixteen-year span from 2003 to 2019 when I was invited by the staff of our local newspaper, The Destin Log , to share my reflections on what I called the Waypoints of life. These articles form the substance of this little book. Some of my waypoints are unique to my own story, while others will perhaps intersect some of yours. My prayer is that the Lord will use each of them to stir your own reflections and then point you in the direction he wants you to go as a result.

Take your time. Read the articles which catch your attention. Skip the ones which don't.

Life really is a journey marked by navigational points along the way. If we pay attention, the Lord will use each one to reveal to us a little more of his nature. And we will discover through both triumphs and tragedies that God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good because that is his nature! That discovery makes the journey worthwhile.

Waypoints: Navigational Points en Route to a Destination

September 20, 2003

Let's assume for the sake of argument that when you die, you would like a future beyond the grave that doesn't involve going to hell. Wanting to avoid a very bad consequence is not a particularly noble reason for seeking a way to get to heaven, but it has been a starting place for a whole lot of folks over the years. So how does a person get from here to there ?

Two years ago, my bride surprised me with an instrument called a Global Positioning System (GPS) for my boat. The little gizmo works through satellites and computer chips, and what appears to be smoke and mirrors, telling me exactly where in the Gulf of Mexico I am, where I am going, and how fast I am getting there. I can set it to follow a series of points on the way to my final destination. As I arrive at each of the points, it tells me what course correction to make on the way to my next point. These points along the way are appropriately called waypoints. Anyone who has ventured out into the gulf knows how vast and empty and blue it can be for someone looking for a bottom spot to fish or for someone out of sight of land and trying to find his way back to port. Boat captains love these instruments. They provide a measure of safety and accuracy which has saved lives and made boating more pleasurable.

There is a little warning sticker on the machine, however, which tells the operator that he should never put all his confidence in his GPS. They have been known to fail at the most inopportune times.

There are lots of folks running around today who are as lost in this world as I used to be on the gulf. Maybe you are one of them. You don't have to be. You just need to know the way. His name is Jesus.

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me, He declares (John 14:6). There is only one way to get to heaven. There is only one way by which we might be saved. We must put our trust in Jesus. When we respond to his invitation and invite him into our lives as Savior and Lord, we know our final destination. We are bound for heaven.

The challenge is that we don't know in advance what waypoints he will have us pass through on the journey. The Lord has a plan for every single life. He has charted a course for each one of us before we were ever born. The writer of Psalm 139 reminds us that even when we were in the womb, the days that were formed for us were written in the Father's book, When as yet there were none of them.

Our problem is that we don't always take the time to figure out his plan. Too often, we just put the engine in gear and wait to see what happens. What generally follows is wasted time, chaotic charting, missed opportunities, and dangerous interludes. That sounds fun only if the idea of floating around in the gulf low on gas, lost, and watching an approaching storm is appealing.

Finding and following the Lord's plan for our lives makes more sense. We do it in two main ways: studying God's Word in the Bible and talking things over with him in prayer.

In Holy Scripture, the Lord has given his basic rules for living. In prayer, we take time to sit in his presence and listen to what the Spirit has to say to us. He doesn't often speak in audible words, so we have to develop our spiritual ears to hear his voice. It takes time. It takes practice. But every person can learn how to really pray.

Read your Bible with confidence. Unlike the GPS, there is no warning sticker, so you can count on its reliability. Listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God will show you the way, but he will not give you the whole course of your life in advance. He just gives you the directions to the next waypoint.

You will have to go to each one trusting that when you arrive, you will be given the course for the next point and the next and the next. The Lord will teach you obedience and trust as you follow his lead through each waypoint of your life. He never promises that the course he has planned for us will be easy. He has simply assured us that it will be worth it.

Destin Pass 2003

The Value of a True Heading Keeps Faith on Course

October 18, 2003

What is an acceptable amount of error for a compass? Well, it depends on the circumstance. Suppose I boat with my bride one fine Sunday afternoon to one of Boggy Bayou's fine eating establishments. By the time we finish dining and motor back to the mouth of Joe's Bayou and the red marker number 4, it is pitch-dark. How much error could I tolerate in my compass as I head back home? Two or three degrees? No problem. I will miss the entrance to the channel by less than a hundred feet. Let's suppose, however, that I am in Jacksonville, Florida—on a much bigger boat than mine—and want to head out to the United Kingdom. How much error would I be willing to tolerate in my compass as I head out of the St. Johns River and into the open Atlantic? Two or three degrees? Given the distance I am traveling, I could very well make landfall in France or Ireland!

What is true in the world of boating has a direct application in the world of faith. We live in a culture where tolerance has become a virtue, maybe even the virtue. If you want to raise people's eyebrows and ire, just mention the possibility of absolutes in a conversation. It is the one area about which our culture is absolutely intolerant. Yet like it or not, there is that compass we call the Word of God. It has no error. It is absolutely accurate. Jesus used some landlubber talk to make his own point about the importance of absolutes.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13–14)

Our Lord's warning is clear. That is why the Church needs helmsmen who are alert as we press on in our journey in faith. They must be committed to making sure the compass we use points true. If not, then over the short run, nothing will seem amiss, and all the bother with precision will seem a waste of time. Herein lies the danger of heresy.

Unlike our preconceived notions, the heretics of the faith are seldom wild-eyed men out to deceive God's people. Mostly, they are men and women of deeply-held beliefs, the majority of which are true to the Gospel. But they err in their understanding of the essentials, especially those concerning salvation.

For a year or two or five or even ten, the error is scarcely noticeable. The longer the journey continues just a few degrees off course, the further from the truth they and those who travel with them are carried.

Because the gap between the truth and their beliefs widens so gradually, they remain convinced of the accuracy of their course, so when someone questions their position, he inevitably meets with indignant accusations of intolerance.

In the interest of tolerance, our culture teaches that everyone's course must be affirmed, so each warning is resisted. But no matter how good a person's intentions are and no matter how often he is encouraged, if he is wrong on the essentials, he will one day run on the rocks of a wholly different faith that has carried him to a wholly different destination.

That is what is happening in so much of the Church in the West today. In many places, those who were entrusted by God to keep the faith on course have substituted inaccurate compasses for the real Word. The people committed to their care have sailed with them trusting their lives to the captains of their vessels and have not questioned the accuracy of their heading. There is a biblical proverb which warns, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death" (Proverbs 16:25). With tears, we see so many denominations, so many congregations, so many people shipwrecked in their faith.

The good news is that a new day is dawning. God is sending the American Church new leaders who actually believe that what the Bible says is true and are willing to set their course by its teaching. In my own Anglican Communion, these new leaders don't look very much like me. They are often black and sometimes yellow and have names such as Kolini, Yong, Akinola, and Orambi. They come from faraway places in Africa and Asia where the Christian faith is growing faster than any of us can imagine.

They come from countries to which we in the United States once sent missionaries. Now they have become so alarmed at the direction we have taken that they are sending missionaries to us to show us how to return to the right heading.

I thank God for them. I thank God for all who are intolerant enough to speak the truth in love, to warn us of our error, and perhaps to save our lives. May God grant us the humility to listen.

Structure

November 15, 2003

Fishermen know the word structure . That is name given to the underwater rocks, wrecks, ledges, weeds, and other places that attract fish. If an angler wants to produce results, he will learn to pay close attention to structure.

This truth is driven home to me anew every time I make a dive trip to one of our offshore wrecks. I like to pull my boat up over a wreck, throw my anchor right into the middle of it, and then use the anchor line to help me descend. It is beautiful to watch the wreck gradually appear out of the depths. What the diver sees is impressive. Near the surface over the wreck will often be large schools of baitfish flashing like a king's ransom of silver dollars against the blue as the sun reflects off their bodies. Off to the side of the wreck will be king mackerel waiting to lay claim to their portion of the ransom.

Farther down, schools of amberjack will cruise through the baitfish seemingly unaware of them until, following some unseen command, they suddenly hurl themselves into the scattering minnows with predictable results. As the diver nears the wreck, snapper will occasionally come up to investigate the intruder into their midst. Down in the wreck are grouper, each staking out his territory amid the twisted metal and marine growth. Swim thirty feet away from the wreck and the transformation is startling. There is nothing but sand rippled by the effect of unseen currents. Yet when the diver turns around, the wreck looks like Las Vegas rising from the desert bursting with life everywhere.

Christians need to know about structure as well. We are supposed to produce a harvest for the kingdom of God. The problem confronting many of us as Christians is that we have not mapped the interior structure of our lives. Lacking this knowledge but desiring to serve the Lord, we work hard but spend too much of our time and too much of our resources doing the spiritual equivalent of fishing the unproductive water of our own lives. When that happens, we usually wind up with little to show for our efforts except being tired, discouraged, and occasionally resentful.

So what is this interior structure that is so important? It is a combination of natural talents and spiritual gifts.

The natural talents are part of God's gift to us. Each one of us is born with various abilities ranging from athletics to math to music to art to language to science to…well, the list is as wonderful as our Lord is generous.

Depending on our life circumstances, we are able to develop a certain number of our abilities into skills through hard work and discipline. These skills can then be used to produce results. God expects us to put these natural talents to work in his service. The truth is that we can do a lot when we put our minds to it. The truth is also that our flesh has limits beyond which we simply cannot go.

We need to appreciate the distinction between authority and power. Jesus gave his people authority to go and "make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). At the same time, he told his followers to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Authority without the power of the Holy Spirit is of little use. Authority in concert with the power of the Holy Spirit changes lives.

Saint Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth reminds us that, "No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? Then the Holy Spirit dwells within you! Our Lord is most generous. He showers his kids (us) with all the tools we need to do the work he has set before us. We will feel more comfortable using some spiritual gifts rather than others, but all of them are available to us at the Father's pleasure. We need to know what our spiritual gifts are. Lists can be found in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4.

Take a good look at them. Some of the gifts are pretty visible, and some are pretty low-key. All are important and necessary to the body of Christ, his Church.

Ask the Lord to show you which ones are his grace gifts to you. Ask the Lord to confirm your natural talents. This whole process is like making a map of the interior structure of your life.

Knowledge, however, is not enough. A Christian who has identified all the structure in his spiritual life but is not open to letting the Lord harvest those gifts and talents for his use is like a lake owner publishing a guide to the best fishing spots on the water and then not allowing anyone to wet a line.

The Lord will not trespass on your life. He's waiting for an invitation to go fishing with you. If you ask him, he will show you how to fish the structure of your life. The gifts and talents which are brought forth can then be used to help bring others to Jesus. That, brothers and sisters, is what fishing structure is all about.

Preparation Makes a Difference

December 13, 2003

Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of accompanying one of Destin's finest charter boat captains on a fishing trip. The whole adventure was great fun for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I really like to fish. One of the things that made this particular trip even more fun was that the captain not only liked to fish but was also prepared to fish. He had all the rods and reels we needed on the boat. He had the right test line, the right sized hooks, and the right assortment of weights. He had plenty of the right kind of bait. He had ice for the fish, a well-maintained boat, and plenty of fuel for the trip. He had checked the weather, knew the tides, and had planned for the effect of the current. His preparations made the day a treat.

I confess that I am not entirely like my friend, the captain. When I go fishing, it is often on the spur of the moment. I grab several rods, my tackle box, some ice out of the freezer, gas up my boat, and figure that I'll make do with what I've got. I wind up using what I find in my box to make my rigs. The problem is that what I have in my box is not necessarily what I need. I end up doing lots of work, muttering under my breath, and too often putting some half-right contraption into the water, hoping that I will chance across some inexperienced and unknowing fish. The results of such a lack of preparation are, sadly, predictable and something less than a treat.

My sense is that what I am occasionally guilty of when I go fishing is what a lot of us are guilty of as Christmas approaches. I wager your calendar looks a lot like mine—parties, school events, projects, shopping, plans for this and that, all engulfed in expectations that we and others conspire to place upon ourselves. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a full calendar unless it interferes with the real meaning of the season.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. (Matthew 3:1–3)

There is that word prepare again. That is what the days leading up to Christmas are for. In many Christian circles, they are called Advent. The word means a coming, in this case, the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The great joy and responsibility of Christians is to prepare ourselves in three ways for the Lord's coming. Most obviously, that involves preparing ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It also involves preparing ourselves for the day when he returns in great power and glory. Finally, it involves preparing ourselves for the day when we will meet the Lord face-to-face should we die before he returns. Are you ready for any and all of these circumstances? If not, what will it take for you to get ready? A large part of the answer is found in developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To do that, you will want to spend time talking things over with him in prayer, spend time reading his word in the Bible, and spend time doing the things that you know delight him.

What you surely don't want to do is find yourself on Christmas morning or at the Lord's return or meeting him face-to-face after you've died—unprepared, frantically doing lots of work, muttering under your breath, and putting some half-right excuse of a relationship into the water, hoping that by chance, you will manage to hook up with him. The Son of God wants so much more for you than that. There is nothing in all creation as exciting and satisfying as falling in love with Jesus. There is no relationship which can bring as much joy. If you have not taken time to prepare yourself for such a relationship, why not start today? If you need help, Destin is filled with Christians who are as prepared to walk alongside you in the faith as my friend the captain is to fish alongside me in the gulf.

Sunrise on the Gulf

Why Fishermen?

February 7, 2004

The front cover for our Sunday bulletin at Immanuel Anglican Church is dominated by a picture of Garfield Taylor cast net fishing in Choctawhatchee Bay sometime during the 1950s. He is a great image of Destin's rich heritage, but that is not why we put him on our bulletin. We put Mr. Taylor on the cover to remind us of our calling.

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, (Jesus) saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men. (Mark 1:16–17)

The stories about the abundance of fish in the bay during the early years before Destin was discovered are legendary. When I was a teenager in Jacksonville, Florida, I knew some men just like Mr. Taylor. Near sundown, they would come down to the creeks along the St. Johns River and walk in near where we were throwing our nets. They would silently wade in above their waists with eight and, sometimes, ten foot nets draped over their arms and shoulders like Spanish moss hanging on a live oak. Then they would be about the business at hand, looking intently for that fin or that telltale ripple in the water which gave away a fish's location. Sometimes they had fish around them from the beginning. Sometimes they stood like those oaks without moving for five, ten minutes, or even more before moving a few steps forward. Then would come the moment when everything was just right.

In one fluid motion, the elbows would come up, and the upper body would swivel at the waist, first back and then forward. Then the arms would extend, and the net would fairly fly into the air, expanding into a perfect circle before dropping into the water.