So what's Cruising?

If you know me at all, you would realize that use the word “cruise” all the time, within many different contexts. It’s easily my favorite word; it has many levels of meanings, and is a constant life long goal of mine. I always tell people I'm "just cruising," and people laugh cause I'm so chill. But it's more then that....

Most people describe cruise or cruising as merely chilling, or at best, the act of walking, driving around aimlessly, or in my case, hanging out. Even I answer questions like, "how was you day?" or "what are you up to?", with answer like, “Pretty cruise” or “Just cruising.” So in a sense, the word cruise encompasses all of that, but it’s so much more. For me, cruise is more then something you do or how something was, but it’s a lifestyle lived, rooted in one’s identity.

Cruise more then something you do, it’s a mentality maintained, and its secret alias within the Bible is the Fruit of the Spirit known as peace. To truly cruise is have the Peace of God all over your life. The Bible commands those that know God as truth to be anxious about nothing, but in prayer and petition to give our requests to God. If we do this then the Peace of God, that passes all understanding, will keep our hearts in Christ.*

Where does this peace, which despite the odds stacked against us, come from? Cruise comes out of our understanding and belief of who God is and what He is like. Consider this statement, “One’s understanding who God is and what He’s like, will both directly and indirectly affect most decisions you make through your life.”

It’s like being in charge of a group project at school or work. Unless you’re the luckiest person walking earth, you’ve experienced the unreliable, lazy, uncaring, and all around terrible group member who cannot be trusted to contribute to the group, much less the project. So we don’t give that group member anything tough, someone else carries a bit extra, and the work gets done. Everyone gets a good grade, the terrible group member included.

I think sometimes we treat God like the terrible group member, showing with our thoughts, actions, fears, etc that God either doesn’t care and won’t act, or maybe does care, but isn’t strong enough, and cant act. We go through things that are tough, that constantly stabs at our minds, relentlessly causing us to stress out or worry, and go through the motions of “giving it to God” in prayer. Yet as soon as we say Amen, we take the burden back, and start worrying and stressing out all over again. Then when God comes through and saves the day, we give Him all the credit. However, when things don’t work out like we want them, we accuse God of not caring or not acting.

See I believe God is who He says He is. God challenged the Israelites with his name, “I AM THAT I AM, I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE. The name itself is without true description, but God revealed Himself to His people (and to us) through Israelites history and actions. As Israel needed God to come through or be faithful, God's character was revealed. So will God reveal Himself to you, through your actions, if you let Him. He is the most reliable being in the universe that NEVER fails, the best group project member ever.

So cruising is more then something you. You can work hard, you can relax, or doe whatever else, but if you remember who God is and truly trust Him, then you won’t have to worry about anything ever again.** It's something that I personally strive to live out. When I do worry, soon rather then later, I find myself on my knees, begging God to come through for me. He has never failed to do so.

Well this is getting pretty long so I’ll end it here. I see my friend on the other side of Starbucks, and she likes poems that rhyme, so I’ll end with a poem.

A mentality maintained

A peace unexplained

Nothing is lost

But everything gained

I choose to have faith

And to follow his lead

I choose not to wait

For life's storms to recede

It’s not laziness

Cause I’m still moving

In the midst of the craziness

God’s still proving

This is the path I choose

This is my theology of cruise

Aloha,

Ernie

*Phil 4:6-7

** This is not saying don't work hard or be concerned about anything. We all have responsibilities, and should strive to do our best to fulfill them. What I mean is that we do not have to stress out or get overwhelmed about anything. God will come through.

*** I think if Paul Bunyan was in my group project, I could trust him with anything. Plus, I think he would be pretty cruise.