The temperature was unseasonably warm. On the open seas, you noticed the weather more than usual. And you did not want to hear "unseasonably warm" in regard to the weather especially in the North Atlantic. Low winds and high humidity and higher than normal water temperature were the ingredients for bad weather, really bad weather!
The first mate remaindered Captain Thomas, "Cap'n, winds calm. We ain't moving. You thinkin what I'm thinkin?"
"Probably", the Captain responded.
"Think, we can run it, sir?"
"Expect not. We're too heavy after loading in Boston. These ships not really built for speed."
"What ya gonna do, Cap'n?" The experienced first mate knew what he would do. "But", he wondered, "does this young inexperienced captain know what to do?"
Then to the grizzled old sailor's surprise, the young buttoned down Captain turned to him and said, "What do you think we should do, Mate? You've been here before."
"Were it up to me, Sir, I'd steer toward the bay off the starboard. We need to get close enough for the anchor to grab hold, but not too close."
"Don't want to run aground, right?"
"No Sir, Cap'n."
"Well, get the boys going and let's run for cover."
"Yes Sir", the mate replied as he rushed out to bellowed his orders to the crew.
The ship made it to the bay and put down their anchor before the storm hit. The winds tossed the ship around. Waves washed over the deck sweeping everything not tied down into the angry sea. Black surrounded the tiny ship as brilliant lightning zipped through the darkness. Mother nature seem angry this evening!
But the anchor held through the night!
Have you ever had a storm come up on you like this little freighter? You know it's coming or it has caught you by surprise and you are struggling to know what to do. Life is like that!
Sometimes you can foresee the trouble coming. You know what you are doing is not what God wants you to do, but you can't see any way to avoid it. The innocent flirtation that seems so simple and innocent goes too far. The business deal with so much potential that comes so close to the thin line between legal and illegal. "Just more drink for the road", your pal says. The drug he promises will, "Take the edge off." You know, really know, it is wrong. You know it will lead to more trouble down the road. But ..., why not!
Or maybe your storm comes from things that just happen, no planning, spontaneous, you don't think about them at the time. The angry outburst at your child who just wants to play. She just doesn't know now tired you are, you rationalize. You yell, "Get a job!" to the homeless man selling a paper on the side of the road. A man of a different color cuts in front of you and you think, "damn you __". When talking with "the guys" loosens your tongue and the conversation contains more and more swear words and lewd references and you feel no remorse! When your motto is "Me and Mine First. The rest can fend for themselves"
If this is you, you are like that tiny freighter except you didn't make it to the bay in time to let down your anchor! Maybe you don't have an anchor! There is a Bible story you need to read. Matthew's gospel records Jesus telling this parable in the 7th chapter verse 24 through verse 27.
The first mate remaindered Captain Thomas, "Cap'n, winds calm. We ain't moving. You thinkin what I'm thinkin?"
"Probably", the Captain responded.
"Think, we can run it, sir?"
"Expect not. We're too heavy after loading in Boston. These ships not really built for speed."
"What ya gonna do, Cap'n?" The experienced first mate knew what he would do. "But", he wondered, "does this young inexperienced captain know what to do?"
Then to the grizzled old sailor's surprise, the young buttoned down Captain turned to him and said, "What do you think we should do, Mate? You've been here before."
"Were it up to me, Sir, I'd steer toward the bay off the starboard. We need to get close enough for the anchor to grab hold, but not too close."
"Don't want to run aground, right?"
"No Sir, Cap'n."
"Well, get the boys going and let's run for cover."
"Yes Sir", the mate replied as he rushed out to bellowed his orders to the crew.
The ship made it to the bay and put down their anchor before the storm hit. The winds tossed the ship around. Waves washed over the deck sweeping everything not tied down into the angry sea. Black surrounded the tiny ship as brilliant lightning zipped through the darkness. Mother nature seem angry this evening!
But the anchor held through the night!
Have you ever had a storm come up on you like this little freighter? You know it's coming or it has caught you by surprise and you are struggling to know what to do. Life is like that!
Sometimes you can foresee the trouble coming. You know what you are doing is not what God wants you to do, but you can't see any way to avoid it. The innocent flirtation that seems so simple and innocent goes too far. The business deal with so much potential that comes so close to the thin line between legal and illegal. "Just more drink for the road", your pal says. The drug he promises will, "Take the edge off." You know, really know, it is wrong. You know it will lead to more trouble down the road. But ..., why not!
Or maybe your storm comes from things that just happen, no planning, spontaneous, you don't think about them at the time. The angry outburst at your child who just wants to play. She just doesn't know now tired you are, you rationalize. You yell, "Get a job!" to the homeless man selling a paper on the side of the road. A man of a different color cuts in front of you and you think, "damn you __". When talking with "the guys" loosens your tongue and the conversation contains more and more swear words and lewd references and you feel no remorse! When your motto is "Me and Mine First. The rest can fend for themselves"
If this is you, you are like that tiny freighter except you didn't make it to the bay in time to let down your anchor! Maybe you don't have an anchor! There is a Bible story you need to read. Matthew's gospel records Jesus telling this parable in the 7th chapter verse 24 through verse 27.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains came down, the streams rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
The rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Question is: Are you going to be a wise man (or woman) or and unwise one? What is your house built on, rock or sand? Can your life withstand the storms life throws at you?
Contact me or your pastor (any brand of Christian will do), we can walk you through becoming a wiser person.
Contact me or your pastor (any brand of Christian will do), we can walk you through becoming a wiser person.
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