Is it all worthwhile?

What makes it worthwhile?

Have you ever asked yourself this question?  It may have been about a job, and event, a relationship, a hobby, or you may have asked it about life in general.  I tend to ask myself that question on a regular basis, and rarely is it the same answer.  Lately I’ve been forced to ask myself and evaluate the answer for several different things.  Now before you get all concerned, none of them are my marriage, my family, or my life.  There has never been a question about those. 

The latest activity to undergo this scrutiny is the time and resources we expend on the houseboat.  If you take a piece of paper and draw a line vertically, then list the pros on one side and the cons on the other, you are supposed to get a clearer picture of the correct direction to go.  This process has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin who obviously didn’t use it in his kite flying experiment.

As I listed the cons they start with the obvious, monetary expense.  There was the payment for the boat itself.  When you first start out you evaluate this purchase like many others, how much down, how much per month or if I sink my money here will that be the best use for it?  We went through that process and decided we could afford it.  Then came the “hidden” expenses.  You have this boat.  Where are you going to keep it?  At 66 feet long and 16 feet wide, it’s not a put it on the trailer and take it home every weekend proposition.  So add in the expense of slip rental.  By the way, did you want to hook up to the electricity on the dock?  Add that in also.  I’m sure as a responsible adult you want to insure your asset from damage or loss and yourself from liability should you have an accident.  Put down the cost of insurance.

Many never leave the dock in their boat.  That just doesn’t fit our style so chalk up fuel.  And not just drive motor fuel; you will want to stay cool, or warm and cook while you’re out so remember the generator too!  You know what it costs to maintain your vehicle’s engine.  Multiply by three for the boat.  Add in the 11 batteries, light bulbs for both a 12-volt and 120-volt system, and propane for grilling and front deck heating in the winter, satellite TV, and all the miscellaneous expenses of maintaining another home.  Don’t forget travel to and from the marina too.

WOW!  Why would anyone ever choose to own a boat?

Let’s start down the other side now.  First there is the relaxation of being away from it all.  Even though we have internet and cell phones, you can always use the excuse of being on the lake with little or no service.  Don’t forget that until your kids have driver’s license they will be glad to come to the lake with you and take off in the runabout.  (Add that to the expense side)  The time you get with them and the memories you make will be cherished for years to come.  If you enjoy the beauty of God’s creation you will really like the lake.  Even with the water down over 20 feet, Center Hill is a beautiful place.  Watching the ducks as they grow and mature, the turtles stacked up on logs sunning, fish everywhere, and just the magnificence of the surroundings is priceless.  So now compare the sides.  For me, that might be enough to swing the scales toward ownership.  But the primary reason we have continued our lake lives, is yet to come.

When we moved into our boat we knew one family at the marina.  Now I can’t number the people we know.  I’m not talking about knowing names.  I mean really knowing them.  You see, even when you enjoy something as much as we do Center Hill, there are down sides.  But when you walk down the dock and have people speak, and ask how you are, and most of all really care, then that makes it all worthwhile.  The people on H dock at Sligo, with a few “A, B & C” folks thrown in for good measure, constitute a community.  We have welders, and builders, mechanics and techno geeks, teachers and realtors, retired and wanna be retired, young, old, male, female, single, married, all joined by a love for the community but mostly a love for God.  We are a family, dysfunctional at times, but a family.  Try messing with one of us and you’ll see!  We live together, laugh together, cry together and worship together.  We share everything and do our best to see no one goes wanting.  Come eat with us sometime if you want to see this community in action.  I love to say that even on a bad day we have enough food left over to fill a pick-up truck.  And this bunch can cook!!

Money can’t buy this friendship.  It only comes from those with a shared purpose in life.  You see, it’s the true fellowship that tips the scales!  Thanks to all our lake church family.  Without you it wouldn’t be worthwhile!