We’ve fished Lake Skinner more times than I can count.Honestly, I don’t know if we ever caught anything. We had a map of the lake—showing “good spots.”The guy renting the boat told us, “Go near the dam.”Another said, “Head across to the brushy edges.” Gabriel had stayed up late the night before dialing in our gear.He watches hundreds of bass fishing videos. We love going.But we caught nothing. That day—we got up early, spent 4 hours on the water, in the sun…Nothing. For his birthday, Gabriel wanted to hire a guide.We picked Diamond Valley Lake—big, deep, known for bass…if you know where to go. We hired a well-vetted guide.We were excited. A couple nights before, he texted:“I’ve chosen another lake.” Guess which one? Skinner. “You’ve never been with me.” Oh no… okay. We got in his boat.He taught us the whole time.He took us to spots he knew like the back of his hand. And guess what? 👉 We caught fish. Friends, Christianity is not about having a map to follow into heaven. It’s not about figuring out the right spots.Not rules. Not diagrams. Not guesswork. We’re not in our boat with a map… 👉 We’re in the Guide’s boat. Someone else is at the helm.And more than that—we’re in Him. John 14:2“I go to prepare a place for you.” This is not interior decorating. 👉 The word carries the sense of:making ready… establishing access… opening the way for someone to enter and belong. Not showing you where to go—but bringing you where He is. You don’t need a better map.You need to trust the Guide.

Christian community is the place where we keep the flame of hope alive among us and take it seriously so that it can grow and become stronger in us. Henri Nouwen