Drift
My idea of the word drift is a continuous slow movement that deviates from a set course of progress.
Drift reminds me of my New England winters as a child, looking out the window at the snowdrifts the morning after an overnight blizzard. As an adult now living by the ocean in Florida, drift reminds me of picking up driftwood on the beach that washed ashore the morning after an overnight of rough seas.
Closer to my heart is my concern for the residents in our program at Teen Challenge New England & New Jersey, who were under the power of addiction to drugs and alcohol. I do not want them to drift away from their sobriety. For them to drift just 1 degree off course could mean their death.
Drift happens slowly, unknowingly. Over time, you find yourself very far away from where you thought you were headed. It could be a gradual shift in your attitude or an inappropriate action that could eventually cost you your marriage, your job, or your life.
We are all prone to drift into “just this one” little white lie, taking what doesn’t belong to us, “just peeking” at porn, holding a grudge, or having a one-night stand. But here is the true consequence of drifting away from our own personal core values:
- Drift
- Really
- Increases
- Future
- Trouble
No one and nothing is exempt from drifting. Entire corporations, organizations, businesses, and even churches and ministries can lose sight of their intended goals. Because we all have the propensity to drift, we must be very intentional about staying the course if we want to meet with success.
You’re fortunate when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions. That’s right— you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He has set.
“Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’ll never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.”
—David the Psalmist in Psalm 119:5–6 (MSG)
On November 28, 1979, two hundred fifty-seven people were on board a large passenger jet, Air New Zealand flight TE901, for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica. Unknown to the pilots, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This small error caused the aircraft to drift twenty-eight miles to the east from where the pilots assumed they would be.
As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better view of the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had caused them to drift off course!
They were directly in the path of Mount Erebus, an active volcano that rises from the frozen landscape to a height of more than twelve thousand feet. As the pilots flew, the white of the snow and the ice covering the volcano blended with the white of the clouds above, making it appear as though they were flying over flat ground. They crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board. It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error that caused the plane to drift off course by just two degrees.
As I look at the five letters of the word drift, I see that the “i” is dead center in the middle, while “d” and “r” are on the left side, and “f” and “t” are on the right. The “i” is balanced, sheltered, stable, safe, and protected. That “i” is you and me, and contrary to the word’s definition, we can remain on course, never to be adrift or concerned about losing focus of our vision and goals.
