Many people get extremely excited and turned-on by drag boat racing.. Boats seem to have an attraction that’s hard to resist for water lovers. Maybe it’s the particular crowd of people, maybe it’s the cooling mixture of clean air and water that’s like a soothing salve for the soul, or maybe it’s just the water that brings out the special qualities of a full-blown aquadisiac?

If the word aquadisiac is a new one to you, think about what its saying? Boats on the water are a genuine turn-on. Most adults know what an aphrodisiac is. For those that aren’t sure, an aphrodisiac is a substance that stimulates sexual desire. And drag boat racing certainly stimulates the senses in any human who loves thundering boats blasting down the liquid quarter-mile at hair-raising speeds. Seeing, hearing, feeling, and smelling the sights and sounds of drag boat racing is enough to qualify or turn anyone into a genuine aquadisiac.

This column is dedicated to a special boat named “Aquadisiac.” You’ll never find this boat at any of the races you attend. This boat (a sixty-five foot “Sharp” houseboat) happens to belong to Dirk and Anita Olsen from Grand Junction, CO.

Linda and I had the privilege of staying on their boat for a couple of days after performing the wedding for Dirk and Anita who were married on the stunning ninety-six foot “Canyon Princess” in the middle of picturesque Lake Powell in Bullfrog, Utah.

This event didn’t produce any record setting runs during the course of the weekend, but it was a special day that took place with some great numbers of its own…like 37 degrees 29.312 north and 110 degrees 43.567 west…the coordinates of the exact location during the wedding ceremony when the new couple was introduced as husband and wife.

The captain of the “Canyon Princess” steadied her in the middle of the lake by heading into a light breeze on a delightful Saturday afternoon as the ceremony took place on the upper deck of the stern. The captain blew the ship’s horn as the couple kissed to seal their vows…surrounded by earth, wind and water and of course God’s presence: creation looking on in its majestic splendor.

Drag boat racing can sometimes be described as living on the edge; this wonderful wedding weekend could be described as living large: being on two large boats, boating on a large lake, witnessing two people have a wonderful wedding in front of a large crowd of family and friends.

Even though Dirk and Anita are asphalt drag racers (he crews and she drives), they still love their boat, love the marina at Bullfrog, and love the water that “Aquadisiac” floats on. They are addicted to each other, to drag racing, and to being on their boat whenever possible.

Our bodies can also be called aquadisiacs, as the human body is made up of about seventy percent water. Therefore, the body must have water to survive. So, it’s natural to want to do things around water. Drinking it, swimming in it, and racing in it just come natural for the human body: look how strongly little children are drawn to any body of water? As our local TV weatherman always says, “Watch your kids around water!”

The Bible has a lot to say about water. The world was judged through water, “The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days” (Genesis 7:24) as the flood cleansed the earth of wickedness (for a time being), but God saved Noah and his family to preserve mankind so they could once again be fruitful and multiply and go back to using water the way it was originally intended to be used.

The Red Sea was parted (by God) to spare the Israelites from the Egyptian army, but the Egyptian army all drowned as they tried to chase God’s people and bring them back into slavery. Again man is saved by water.

Three days after the Israelites were spared from the Egyptians, they arrived at Marah desperately thirsty. There, they set up camp which they thought had ample water; but it was undrinkable. On God’s orders, Moses grabbed a piece of wood and tossed it into the water, and again God saved them by making the water drinkable…now being saved by a piece of wood.

Precious water even came from “a rock” during the forty years in their wilderness wanderings. God used the analogy that “living water” can even come from a Rock; God’s way of showing mankind that He can provide for us at anytime or anyplace using any means of provision for His chosen people.

Fast forwarding to the New Testament, we find Jesus at a well talking with a Samaritan woman who came to draw out some water for her and her significant other (she already had had five husbands). Jesus asked her for a drink and she says “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans,”) (John 4:9).

Jesus kindly and lovingly answers the woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).

Jesus then goes on to say to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

Not even biblical well water can keep physical thirst from returning, but Jesus’ claim here is that His faithful followers will find a deeper thirst quenched once and for all. Is there something in the water of the Gospels that can reach even the thirstiest man or woman who longs for a cool refreshing sip of God’s living water?

Water is so much more than just something we drink, wash with, play in, and fortunately get to race on. Water is a very big part of our spiritual life. Jesus Christ is that Rock. Jesus Christ is the Well. Jesus Christ is the Cleanser. Jesus Christ is our Rescue. Jesus Christ is the President of the best water-based association on the planet. Jesus Christ is our Provider. Jesus Christ is our Pastor. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Jesus Christ is the Care Taker of the River of Life.

Water in the Old Testament had two major spiritual associations. The first has to do with the ritual washing or cleansing from the defilement of missing the mark (sin). The second is for blessing, especially the day of blessing that God’s Spirit will bring to Israel and to the world.

The prophet Isaiah wrote several hundred years before Christ, prophesying about Him, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (Isaiah 44:4).

God supplying abundant water for the Israelites is an example of His constant supply for His peoples needs. “They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out” (Isaiah 48:21).

Although most references to water in the New Testament are literal, some of the symbolism of the Old Testament is retained. Jesus provides the living “water welling up to eternal life,” (John 4:14). The Holy Spirit is portrayed as producing “streams of living water will flow from within him,” (John 7:38). Cleansing mankind from sin is a matter of “cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,” (Ephesians 5:26)..

Therefore, the Word of God becomes an all-purpose product that can be used even by the least trained individual to quench their desire for something to satisfy a hankering to relieve a parched tongue and parched soul.

For many racers, “it’s the water” refers to a desire to indulge in (after a long day of racing) their favorite adult beverage (containing mostly water). But the believers’ main indulgence should always be ordering up a tall cool one from the King of kings, always remembering it’s the blood, not the Bud that will bring you face-to-face with reality, and to a place of genuine peace, enjoyment, and contentment.

Men and women make up a great team on or off the track whether its business, family, fishing, racing, or pleasure boating on the lake of their choice. But it’s those who have been transformed by the refreshing water of God that you’ll see smiling and enjoying real life to the fullest.

Team RFC is truly blessed to be a small part of God’s wonderful family that worships at the waters edge during a Team RFC chapel service on Sunday mornings, then witnessing racers turning on their competitive edge, racing to win on the water on Sunday afternoon’s. The race of life is not always won by the swift…it’s for those who enjoy the abundant life from Jesus Christ.